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MAURICE :  HEWLETT"" 


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THE  OUTLAW 


SAGAS  RETOLD 

A  LOVER'S  TALE   (Kormak) 

FREY  AND  HIS  WIFE   (Og- 
mund  Dint) 

THORGILS  (Thorglsl) 

GUDRID  THE  FAIR    (Wine- 
land) 

THE  OUTLAW  (Gisli) 

In  Preparation 

THE  LIGHT   HEART 
(Thormod) 


THE  OUTLAW 


BY 

MAURICE  HEWLETT 

AuTHOB  or  '*Th«  Forest  Lovees,"  Etc. 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

1920 


OOPTEIGHT,  1919 

By  DODD,  mead   and  COMPANY,  Ino. 


/    ' 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

TEXT  in  Origines  Icelandicce,  Vol.  EC.  Sir 
George  Dasent  published  a  literal  trans- 
lation in  1865.  In  1900  Miss  Beatrice  Barmby 
made  and  published  a  dramatic  version  of  it 
(Constable  &  Co.,  1900),  with  a  preface  by  Pro- 
fessor York  Powell.  My  volume  is  made  on 
the  lines  of  its  predecessors.  I  have  added 
nothing  to  the  substance  and  have  left  out  many 
of  the  accidents,  including  (without  exception) 
all  the  bad  verses. 


428485 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 


PAOS 


I  The  Curse  on  the  Blade 3 

II  GiSLI  SOURSSON 18 

III  The  Feud 35 

IV  Fire 45 

V  Beginning  Again 53 

VI  Partnership 63 

VII  Codbiter's  Son 73 

VIII  Overheard S3 

IX  Forging  of  the  Spear 95 

X  The  Gifts 108 

XI  The  Storm 116 

XII  Conviction 127 

XIII  Grayflanks  Goes  Home 140 

XIV  Aftertaste 1^1 

XV  Passion  of  Thordis 162 

XVI  Discoveries •     •  173 

XVII  Outlawry 183 

XVIII  The  Flitting 196 

XIX  The  Hunt  is  Up 203 

XX  Thorkel's  Bane 216 

XXI  The  Fire  in  the  Wood 231 

XXII  Grayflanks  Ends  It 241 

XXIII  Thordis  Veers  About 250 


THE  OUTLAW 


THE  OUTLAW 


THE  OUBSB   ON   THE  BLADE 

IN  after  days,  when  men  told  each  other  the 
tale  which  I  am  about  telling  to  yon,  much 
was  made  of  the  cnrse  set  upon  a  spear  called 
Grayflanks,  and  a  good  deal  of  nonsense,  with 
some  sound  sense,  talked  about  it.  In  those 
days,  when  there  were  fewer  things  of  handling 
than  there  are  now,  and  a  sword  or  spear,  if  it 
were  a  good  one,  had  a  character  which  was 
known  and  valued,  it  would  seem  that  a  personal 
life  might  very  well  abide  in  the  thing,  so  that 
you  could  not  only  instruct  it  in  its  course  of  con- 
duct, but  could  look  back  upon  it  and  say :  *  *  Well, 
such  or  such  a  deed  was  to  be  expected  of  such  or 
such  a  thing.  ^^  There  is  much  to  be  said  both 
for  and  against  that  way  of  looking  at  things ; 
but  I  am  not  prepared  at  the  moment  to  argue 

3 


4  THE  OUTLAW 

it  out.  A  serious  poet  and  friend  of  mine  is 
fond  'of  imputing  character  to  his  domestic  fur- 
niture. He  makes  allowances  for  its  draw- 
backs, treats  it  with  a  respect  which  is  pleasant 
to  see  and  very  pleasant  to  read  about  in  his 
verses.  The  odds,  I  believe,  are  very  much  on 
the  side  of  his  being  right.  If  this  tale  should 
happen  under  his  eye,  it  will  confirm  him  in  the 
respect  he  has  for  his  kettle  and  chest  of 
drawers,  as  it  has  already  confirmed  me. 

Grayflanks  was  not  a  spear  when  the  curse 
was  laid,  which  was  long  ago  when  Hakon  the 
Good  was  King  of  Norway ;  in  those  days  it  was 
a  sword,  and  in  the  secret  keeping  of  a  man 
named  Kol,  who  was  a  thrall.  But  Kol  had 
not  always  been  a  thrall.  He  was  well-bom  and 
had  been  something  of  a  great  man  in  his  own 
country,  before  he  had  the  misfortune  to  en- 
gage in  warfare  with  greater  men  than  he,  and 
to  lose  everything  he  had,  except  his  sword. 

There  was  one  other  thing  which  he  did  not 
lose — his  character.  With  that,  which  was  'of  a 
strong,  very  honest  and  resolute  man,  he  im- 
pressed himself  upon  his  possessor,  Ise,  a  man 


THE  CUESE  ON  THE  BLADE         5 

of  higli  degree  in  North  Moeren;  so  much  so 
that  he  was  made  foster-father  of  his  master's 
daughter  Ingibiorg,  a  very  handsome  girl.  She 
grew  up  to  love  him  more  than  her  own  father, 
and  when  she  married,  which  she  did  as  soon  as 
she  was  marriageable,  she  took  Kol  with  her, 
gave  him  his  freedom,  and  settled  him  and  his 
sword  in  a  housestead  belonging  to  her  husband 
in  Sumadale. 

i  Her  husband  was  a  young  man  called  Ari,  the 
eldest  of  the  three  sons  of  Thorkel  Goldhelm. 
The  other  sons  were  Gisli  and  Thorbiorn. 
Thorkel  Goldhelm  was  rich  and  a  great  pro- 
prietor. Seeing  that  Ingibiorg  brought  a  fine 
dowry  with  her,  he  dealt  handsomely  with  the 
young  couple,  set  them  up  in  a  good  house  and 
lands  and  looked  to  see  them  prosper.  And  so 
they  did  for  a  year  or  more. 

Then  troubles  began,  not  of  their  own  seek- 
ing. There  was  a  stalwart  ruffian  settled  in 
that  part  of  the  country,  a  fighting  man  who 
had  a  company  of  cut-throats  at  his  beck.  His 
name  was  Biorn,  and  he  was  called  Biorn  Black, 
because  he  was  of  that  colour  and  sort.    He 


6  THE  OUTLAWj 

was  said  to  deal  in  magic,  to  be  invulnerable 
and  I  don 't  know  what  not ;  but  the  facts  were 
that  he  was  very  ready  with  his  weapons,  en- 
tirely ruthless,  and  had  a  mighty  appetite  for 
the  good  things  of  life  and  strong  disinclina- 
tion to  work  for  them.  No  pretty  woman  was 
safe  from  him.  He  regarded  her  as  lawful 
plunder.  Whether  she  was  gentle  or  simple, 
married  or  maid,  she  was  his  for  a  time.  He 
took  her  away,  kept  her  as  long  as  he  pleased, 
then  sent  her  back.  This  outrageous  conduct, 
while  it  was  successful,  established  two  things 
— a  great  dread  of  him,  which  made  his  depre- 
dations more  easy,  and  a  great  reputation  for 
for  him,  which  almost  made  them  a  necessity. 
If  he  had  continued  a  little  longer,  he  might 
have  set  up  a  droit  de  seigneur;  but  he  tried  it 
once  too  often,  and  happened  to  meet  his 
match. 

He  left  Ari  and  Ingibiorg  alone  for  about  a 
twelvemonth;  then  went  up  to  the  house  in 
force,  knocked  at  the  door  with  a  spear-butt  and 
demanded  entertainment.  By  a  lucky  provi- 
dence the  house  was  not  empty.    Besides  Ari 


THE  CURSE  ON  THE  BLADE         7 

and  his  wife  there  were  his  two  brothers,  Gisli 
and  Thorbiorn,  there ;  there  was  Kol  the  f reed- 
man,  and  certain  other  men,  servants  of  the 
house.  The  Baresark  had  six  of  his  cut-throats 
with  him,  but  no  more. 

Ingibiorg  served  them  with  drink,  and  Biom 
Black  toasted  her  with  effrontery.  **To  our 
next  meeting,  mistress, ''  he  said,  *^in  a  snug- 
ger place  than  this.*'  She  flamed,  and  left  the 
hall.  Ari  asked  what  he  meant  by  insulting 
the  lady  of  the  house.  Biorn  Black  explained 
himself.  ** Custom  of  the  country,  dear  sir,'' 
he  said.  **I  claim  the  rights  of  a  lord  of  the 
land  so  long  as  I  can  wield  them.  Your  lady 
is  no  worse  off  than  any  other  man's  lady — 
and  I  dare  avouch  she  will  be  the  better.  As 
for  you,  there  can  be  no  doubt  you  will  do  wisely 
if  you  let  me  have  my  way. ' ' 

Ari  said,  ** Explain  yourself";  and  Biom  did 
so.  **The  fact  is,''  he  concluded,  *^I  am  some- 
thing of  a  tyrant,  but  an  easy  one  where  I  am 
met  with  civility  and  reason.  When  you  and 
I  have  got  exact  measurement  of  each  other, 
I  dare  swear  we  shall  be  good  friends  enough. ' ' 


8  THE  OUTLAW 

''It  may  be  that  we  shall,''  Ari  said,  his 
colour  high.  ''Therefore  the  sooner  we  take 
measurements  the  better/' 

"Oh,''  said  Biorn,  "that  is  how  you  take  it, 
is  it?  I  am  not  to  be  master  here  without  a 
fight.    Is  that  it? 

"Certainly  it  is,"  said  Ari.  Biorn  finished 
his  horn,  and  set  it  down  with  a  bang. 

"Then  I  will  fight  you  for  Ingibiorg  and  your 
gear,"  h-e  said.  "We  will  meet  on  the  holm, 
and  settle  it." 

"As  soon  as  you  please." 

"I  make  the  same  conditions  with  you  as  with 
anybody  else.  I  have  but  one  code  in  these 
affairs.  We  fight  to  a  finish.  The  goods  of  the 
vanquished  fall  to  the  victor.  Does  that  suit 
you?" 

"I  will  make  it  do  so,''  said  Ari.  So  they 
parted  for  the  time. 

They  met  on  the  holm  at  the  time  appointed; 
they  fought,  and  Ari  was  killed.  No  blow  of 
his  touched  Biorn,  so  far  as  could  be  seen.  He 
was  hardly  breathed,  took  it  all  as  a  matter  of 
course.    When  it  was  over,  and  all  the  men 


THE  CUESE  ON  THE  BLADE         9 

there  gathered  about  the  dead,  Biorn  said,  wip- 
ing his  sword,  **Now  I  have  house  and  lands  and 
a  fair  woman  into  the  bargain."  But  Gisli, 
brother  of  the  dead  man,  said,  "Not  quite  so 
fast.  If  you  think  that  our  blood  is  so  soon 
staunched,  you  are  likely  to  be  made  a  fool  of. 
You  will  fight  me  before  you  lay  hands  on  any- 
thing of  my  brother's.  You  will  fight  me  to- 
morrow. ' ' 

**So  I  will,''  said  Biorn,  "and  your  brother 
Thorbiorn  the  next  day,  and  your  father 
Thorkel  the  next — and  so  on,  so  far  as  your 
kindred  goes.  I  will  never  deny  a  man  a  fair 
fight." 

Gisli  went  home  to  his  brother's  house  and 
saw  Ingibiorg.  She  surprised  him;  for  when 
they  had  laid  out  her  young  husband  and  pro- 
vided for  his  burial,  she  seemed  quite  composed 
and  mistress  of  herself. 

The  mourners  departed,  all  but  Gisli,  who 
stayed  on.  He  and  Ingibiorg  sat  together  in  a 
window-seat  and  looked  out  over  the  river  to  the 
hill  which  was  settling  down  purple  into  the 
dusk. 


10  THE  OUTLAW 

Presently  Ingibiorg  said,  **Aiid  what  now  for 
mer' 

**You  have  friends  and  well-wishers,'^  Gisli 
said.     ^^One  of  them  will  prove  it  tomorrow/' 

She  looked  sharply  up.     **Is  that  yourself?" 

**It  is,"  he  said. 

**What  would  you  do  for  me?" 

**I  have  challenged  that  black  devil  to  fight 
tomorrow  morning,"  said  he. 

She  raised  her  fine  brows.  *'I  fear  for  you. 
He  is  too  strong — without  you  get  help." 

**Help  me,  my  dear,  if  you  can,"  he  said. 
*^I  need  it.  I  know  how  strong  he  is.  Poor 
Ari  never  touched  him." 

She  coloured  a  little,  and  her  eyes  showed 
her  feeling.  **I  would  help  you,  my  dear,  with 
all  I  have.    What  is  more,  I  believe  that  I  can." 

''How  so?"  he  asked. 

She  said,  ''I  know  the  man  for  you.  Kol,  my 
foster-father,  has  a  sword  by  him,  which  was 
forged  in  his  own  country.  He  won't  say  much 
about  it,  but  I  know  that  he  will  not  part  with 
it  for  long.     He  believes  it  can  never  fail." 

*'He  shall  lend  me  that  sword,"  Gisli  said. 


THE  CURSE  ON  THE  BLADE   11 

Ingibiorg  sent  for  Kol  to  come  up  to  the 
house.  Gisli  greeted  him  and  said  he  had  been 
told  of  a  sword  which  he  had. 

**Yes/'  Kol  said,  he  had  a  sword.  **  Noth- 
ing wonderful,  perhaps;  but  a  good  sword 
enough.'' 

Then  Gisli  said  that  he  was  to  fight  Biorn 
Black  the  next  day,  and  would  Kol  lend  him 
the  sword?    Kol  said  that  he  might. 

**You  are  not  very  willing,  friend  T' 

<  <  Why,  no, ' '  Kol  said.  *  *  It  will  happen  to  me 
as  it  always  does  when  a  man  lends  a  handy 
thing.  You  won't  want  to  give  it  back  to  me 
again. ' ' 

*^0h,"  said  Gisli,  *'but  I  will  assuredly  give 
it  back." 

Kol  said,  **Wait  a  bit.  That  sword  of  mine 
will  bite  through  any  metal — steel  or  iron  or 
bronze.  No  spell  can  dull  the  edge  of  it,  and 
no  hard  usage  save  one.  The  Dwarfs  forged 
it  underground,  as  they  tell  me.  It  served  my 
grandfather  and  my  father,  and  has  served  me. 
I  said  that  no  hard  usage  would  foil  it  save  one. 
I  don't  believe  it  would  turn  against  myself. 


12  THE  OUTLAW 

On  the  contrary,  I  think  it  would  fight  my  quar- 
rel though  we  were  on  opposite  sides  in  the 
field.  Now  if  I  lend  you  Grayflanks,  and  it 
serves  you  well,  you  will  desire  to  keep  it. 
That's  how  it  will  be.  Know  this,  then,  that  I 
shall  take  it  ill — ^and  so  will  the  sword. ' ' 

Gisli  vowed  that  he  would  do  no  such  thing; 
and  Kol  brought  him  the  sword — a  thin  ^e 
blade,  two-edged,  as  sharp  as  a  razor. 

The  meeting  took  place  as  arranged.  Both 
sides  brought  to  it  all  the  hands  they  could 
muster ;  so  there  were  the  elements  of  a  battle 
held,  as  it  were,  in  solution. 

When  Gisli  and  Biorn  faced  each  other,  Gisli 
offered  his  enemy  the  first  blow.  Biorn  took 
it,  saying  that  it  was  the  first  time  he  had  been 
offered  that.  *^ First  blow,  with  me,''  he  said 
**is  mostly  the  last  blow — but  as  you  please." 

Gisli  dressed  his  shield  and  awaited  him. 
The  blow  fell,  a  smashing  slice  aimed  for  the 
top  rim;  but  Gisli  had  been  ready  for  it,  and 
lifted  his  shield  in  time  to  save  his  head.  The 
sword  fell  below  the  handle,  but  cut  away  the 
whole  of  the  lower  part.    Biorn  said  he  was 


THE  CUESE  ON  THE  BLADE   13 

a  livelier  customer  than  his  brother.    He  was 
perfectly  good-tempered  through  it  all. 

Now  it  was  Gisli's  turn.  He  aimed,  not  at 
the  top  of  the  shield,  but  at  the  tail  of  it. 
Grayflanks  went  clean  through  it  with  ease,  and 
went  further;  for  it  went  through  Biorn's  leg 
below  the  knee,  and  dropped  him  like  an  ox. 
Young  Gisli  sprang  after  him  and  cut  off  his 
head  with  a  second  blow ;  and  that  was  the  end 
of  the  ruffian  Biorn  Black,  whose  men  stam- 
peded and  were  pursued  by  the  triumphing 
Surnadalemen. 

It  was  a  great  home-coming  for  Gisli,  and 
Ingibiorg's  looks  betrayed  her.  She  could  not 
conceal,  or  she  made  no  attempt  to  conceal,  her 
pride  in  him,  as  she  kissed  him  welcome. 
**Why,  sweetheart,"  he  said,  **the  way  is  as 
much  yours  as  mine.  It  was  from  you  I  had 
this  good  sword.'' 

She  clung  to  him.  *^And  glad  I  am,  and 
proud  I  am." 

**The  pity  is  that  you  did  not  give  it  to  poor 
Ari,"  he  said.  He  could  hardly, hear  her  an- 
swer, **I  had  rather  you  had  had  it." 


14  THE  OUTLAW 

That  made  his  heart  beat.  ^*Now  you  must 
tell  me  how  that  may  be." 

She  was  bold.  **  Because  I  always  loved  you 
better." 

He  kissed  her.  **My  dear,  he  sha'n't  grudge 
you  me  now." 

So  he  married  Ingibiorg  and  took  over  land 
and  goods;  and  so  happy  were  they  in  each 
other  that  it  never  entered  his  head  to  give  back 
his  sword  to  Kol.  Far  from  that,  he  always 
had  Grayflanks  with  him,  and  kept  it  under  his 
bedding  at  night. 

Kol  went  about  his  business  in  his  ordinary 
quiet  and  steadfast  maner;  but  his  eye  was 
never  off  his  sword,  though  he  said  nothing 
about  it  either  to  Gisli  or  to  Ingibiorg.  That 
went  on  for  a  year,  perhaps — long  enough,  at 
any  rate,  to  get  the  right  to  the  sword  rooted  in 
Gisli 's  head.  When  at  last  Kol  did  speak,  he 
was  very  much  taken  aback. 

They  met  in  the  woods  where  Kol  had  been 
felling  timber.  He  was  on  his  way  home,  ax  in 
hand,  when  he  met  Gisli  afoot.  He  had  Gray- 
flanks  in  his  hand  at  the  time,  and  stood,  talking 


THE  CURSE  ON  THE  BLADE   15 

pleasantly  about  indifferent  matters.  Pres- 
ently, however,  Kol  said,  **That  sword  now — 
he  has  served  you  well!'' 

'*None  ever  served  man  better,"  said  Gisli. 
**It  has  given  me  everything  I  could  have  hoped 
for  in  this  life.  It  is  a  wonder-sword.  There 
is  no  fellow  to  it. ' ' 

**Ah,''  said  Kol.  **Then  you  won't  be  sur- 
prised if  I  ask  you  for  it  back  again." 

But  Gisli  was  surprised;  more  than  that,  he 
knew  very  well  that  he  couldn't  possibly  part 
with  it. 

** Don't  ask  me  that,"  he  said.  '*You  shall 
sell  me  the  sword." 

Kol  shook  his  head.    ' '  Nay,  I '11  not  sell  him. ' ' 

**But  you  shall  name  your  price.  Money, 
stock,  land— name  your  price." 

Again  Kol  shook  his  head.  *'I  want  no 
money,  land  or  stock  more  than  I  have  of  your 
lady's  gift.  I  am  too  old  to  try  for  what  I 
once  was.  I  am  a  freeman,  and  get  my  own 
living.  I  have  very  few  things  of  my  own,  but 
what  I  have  I  value.  That  sword  is  what  I 
value  most  of  all." 


16  THE  OUTLAW 

Gisli  looked  abont  Mm.  He  was  much 
troubled,  and  showed  Ms  trouble.  He  was  as 
sorry  for  Kol  as  be  could  be ;  but  be  must  keep 
bis  word. 

**I  can't  give  it  you  back,  Kol,''  be  said,  **and 
tbat  is  the  trutb." 

**I  knew  tbat  from  tbe  first,"  Kol  said*  **I 
told  you  tbat  wben  I  lent  bim  to  you.  But  I 
ask  you  now  to  deal  bonestly  witb  me  as  you 
swore  tbat  you  would." 

''I  am  doing  you  a  wrong,"  said  Gisli,  **I 
know  tbat  very  well.  Tbere  will  be  trouble  to 
botb  of  us — bad  trouble.  But  wMle  I  live  no 
man  sball  wield  tbis  sword  but  me. ' ' 

Tbey  looked  at  eacb  older.  Tbe  older  man's 
brow  was  very  dark ;  but  tbe  younger  man  was 
red  all  over  bis  face,  and  tbere  was  sbame  in  bis 
eyes.  Tbey  may  bave  looked  at  eacb  otber 
for  a  full  minute ;  but  batred  grew  in  tbat  time, 
and  quite  suddenly  tbey  began  figbting.  Tbey 
slipped  in  and  out  of  tbe  trees,  Kol  pusbing  for- 
ward, Gisli  avoiding  bim.  Presently  Gisli  was 
brougbt  up  by  a  tree,  changed  bis  tactics,  made 
a  rusb  forward  and  aimed  a  downward  cut  at 


THE  CUESE  ON  THE  BLADE   17 

KoPs  head.  The  sword  did  not  bite,  true  to  his 
master's  faith  in  him ;  but  it  broke  in  two  pieces 
and  smashed  in  the  skull.  At  that  moment, 
when  Kol  fell,  Gisli  fell  also,  dead  as  a  stone 
of  a  blow  from  the  ax.  Kol  had  the  strength 
to  pull  his  broken  sword  towards  him.  **This 
is  the  beginning  of  ill-luck,"  he  said.  They 
found  the  broken  pieces  clutched  in  his  hand,  but 
took  them  from  him.  Thorbiorn,  the  last  of 
the  three  brothers,  took  them  home,  and  gave 
them  to  his  son,  Gisli  the  second,  before  he 
died.  If  he  had  heard  Kol's  last  words  he 
would  hardly  have  done  that. 


II 

GISLI  SOURSSON 

THE  tale  begins  truly  with  this  Gisli  the 
Second,  who  was  a  son  of  the  last  of  the 
three  brothers,  Thorbiorn,  afterwards  called 
Thorbiorn  Sour,  for  a  reason  which  will  be 
found  in  its  place.  Thorbiorn  succeeded  his 
father,  Thorkel  Goldhelm,  in  the  lands  of  Stock, 
married  a  wife  called  Thora,  and  settled  down 
to  what  looked  like  being  a  peaceful  and  pros- 
perous life.  And  so  it  was  until  the  children 
grew  up,  and  while  the  curse  upon  the  blade 
slept.  Thorbiorn  and  Thora  had  four  children, 
of  whom  the  eldest  was  a  girl,  Thordis.  The 
three  others  were  boys,  and  as  they  came  into 
the  world  he  had  them  called  after  his  own 
people,  the  first  of  them  Thorkel,  after  his  fa- 
ther; the  second  Gisli,  the  third  Ari,  after 
his  two  dead  brothers.  By  the  time  that  Ari, 
the  last  child,  came  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
looking  to  be  done  with  sowing  children,  and 

13 


GISLI  SOURSSON  19 

were  rather  for  sitting  down  to  enjoy  the  har- 
vest of  them.  Thordis  was  twelve  years  old, 
Thorkel  was  ten,  Gisli  nine,  when  this  last  one 
cropped  up ;  and  Thora  declared  that  she  could 
not  thole  him.  So  he  was  sent  away  to  her 
own  people  at  Frithey,  and  fostered  there.  No 
more  is  to  be  seen  of  him  until  near  the  end 
of  the  tale.  But  the  other  three  lived  on  at 
Stock  and  grew  to  be  a  fine  young  woman  and 
two  fine  young  men. 

At  the  time  this  tale  begins  Thordis,  the  girl, 
was  twenty  years  old,  tall,  fair  and  handsome 
in  a  bold  and  trenchant  way.  She  could  ride 
as  well  as  a  man,  and  hold  her  own  in  talk 
with  anybody — or  so  she  believed.  Thorkel  her 
brother,  of  eighteen  years,  was  very  much  like 
her,  but  of  a  softer  texture.  He  was  very  hand- 
some and  very  idle;  was  said  to  be  of  great 
strength;  but  no  one  knew  that  for  certain  be- 
cause he  seldom  exerted  himself.  Women  took 
much  notice  of  him,  and  he  had  a  fine  gift  of 
conversation,  which  made  him  popular  with 
young  men.  He  always  wore  good  clothes,  and 
had  a  core  of  vanity  in  him  which  was  much 


20  THE  OUTLAW 

more  tender  than  lie  suspected.  With  all  that, 
he  had  a  tender  heart  too ;  but  there  again,  he 
had  no  notion  of  it. 

With  that  fine  pair  the  powers  of  Thorbiorn 
and  Thora  seemed  to  have  contented  themselves, 
for  Grisli,  the  second  son,  and  third  child,  was 
of  a  different  stamp.  He  was  as  tall  as  the 
other  two,  and  fully  as  strong;  but  he  lacked 
their  good  looks,  their  grace,  and  their  affa- 
bility. He  was  quiet,  shy,  what  we  call  a  dark 
horse.  And  though  he  had  a  square  brow,  and 
a  pair  of  steady  grey  eyes,  he  was  plain.  Not 
the  sort  of  young  man  you  would  look  at  twice 
in  a  mixed  company.  His  hair  and  beard  were 
golden-brown,  his  skin  was  dark;  there  looked 
to  be  a  kind  of  dust  upon  him,  a  kind  of  haze 
which  made  him  indistinct,  negligible.  And  yet 
he  was  for  ever  at  work — building,  smithying, 
quarrying,  timber-felling.  At  this  time  of  his 
life — a  year  younger  than  Thorkel — he  was 
answerable  for  most  of  the  business  at  Stock. 
He  had  just  built  a  fine  storehouse  beyond  the 
hall  with  some  of  the  most  ingenious  panelling- 
work  you  ever  saw.    Outside  there  was  noth- 


GISLI  SOURSSON  21 

ing  to  be  seen;  the  planks  lapped  over  each 
other  and  were  dowelled  into  the  timbers  in  the 
ordinary  way.  But  inside  there  was  a  false 
casing  which  could  be  removed;  and  then  you 
saw  that  every  plank  of  the  outer  wall  was  held 
in  place  by  iron  bolts,  which  could  be  unscrewed 
from  the  inside.  Nobody  knew  anything  of 
it,  for  nobody  had  taken  the  trouble  to  look 
into  it.  Gisli  had  done  it  all  by  himself,  tak- 
ing infinite  delight  in  it  for  its  own  sake,  with 
infinite  chuckles  as  he  did  it.  Very  handy  it 
afterwards  proved  to  be — yet  even  then  he 
asked  no  credit  for  his  ingenuity,  and  of  course 
got  none. 

As  for  his  temper,  it  seemed  perfect.  They 
all  thought  him  the  mildest  of  men;  and  his 
father,  who  certainly  was  nothing  of  the  sort, 
was  apt  to  be  sarcastic  about  it.  It  was  odd 
that  Thorkel,  who  never  did  anything,  should 
have  been  supposed  to  be  ready  for  anything, 
while  Gisli,  who  was  always  doing  something, 
should  have  been  thought  capable  of  nothing. 
It  shows  what  a  fine  presence  and  ready  ad- 
dress will  do  for  a  man. 


22  THE  OUTLAW 

It  must  have  been  just  about  this  time,  with 
Thordis  in  the  flower  of  her  age,  when  the 
visits  to  Stock  of  a  young  man  called  Kolbiorn 
began  to  give  offence.  There  were  indeed  two 
young  men  in  particular  who  came  to  talk  with 
Thordis ;  this  Kolbiorn  was  one,  and  Bard  was 
another.  They  were  both  friends  of  ThorkePs 
and  very  much  of  his  stamp.  So  long  as  they 
came  together,  and  all  played  together,  nobody 
cared;  but  when  presently  Kolbiorn  took  to 
coming  alone,  and  then  getting  Thordis  to  be 
alone  with  him — why,  then,  people  began  to 
talk,  and  Thora  spoke  to  her  husband  about  it. 

According  to  the  customs  of  those  days  in 
that  country  there  was  no  more  deadly  thing 
for  a  girl's  name  than  that  it  should  be  ban- 
died about  from  hallstead  to  hallstead,  and  noth- 
ing more  certain  to  set  it  flying  than  that  a 
young  man  should  come  to  talk  with  her  with- 
out first  seriously  talking  to  her  parents.  In 
short,  it  was  a  girl's  business  to  marry  and 
get  children,  and  not  to  have  love-affairs. 
Love,  they  thought,  might  follow  marriage,  but 
in  no  case  should  precede  it.    As  for  love-mak- 


GISLI  SOUESSON  23 

ing  as  a  mere  delight  and  pastime  that  was 
called  beguiling  a  girl,  and  held  for  a  grave 
insult  to  her  family.  Now  it  seemed  to  Thor- 
biom  and  Thora  that  Kolbiorn  was  beguiling 
Thordis. 

Thorbiorn  grew  angry  and  began  to  grumble. 
He  did  not  speak  to  his  eldest  son,  because  it 
was  an  accepted  thing  in  that  family  that  it 
was  simpler  to  scorn  Gisli  for  not  doing  Thor- 
kePs  work  as  well  as  his  own  than  to  try  to  get 
Thorkel  to  do  anything  at  all.  Thorkel,  it  was 
supposed,  had  full  rights  as  well  as  full  powers, 
and  one  of  his  rights  was,  to  be  let  alone.  But 
Gisli  had  no  rights  at  all.  In  the  present 
trouble  Thorkel  (except  for  his  rights)  was 
his  father's  man — a  friend  of  Kolbiorn 's  and 
much  more  in  his  company  than  Gisli  was. 
But  it  was  to  Gisli  he  made  his  complaints,  and 
bitterly. 

'*Here  is  a  pleasant  state  of  things— my 
household  becoming  the  common  talk  of  the 
dale,  and  my  sons  looking  on,  with  not  a  word 
to  say!  Do  you  wish  your  sister's  name  in  the 
dust — tumbled  about  like  a  windfall  apple  T' 


24  THE  OUTLAW 

Gisli  looked  up  from  his  wheel  where  he  was 
busy  with  his  chisels.  **You  mean  Kolbiom,  I 
suppose?  I  don't  think  that  he  means  any 
harm.    A  word  or  two  will  put  that  right.'' 

Thorbiorn  snorted.  *^Your  words!  A  man 
would  find  something  sharper  than  words." 

Gisli  replied,  **I  daresay  he  would.  But  I 
don't  see  any  need  to  quarrel  about  a  thing 
like  that." 

**If  you  don't  intend  to  stop  seandal-monger- 
ing  at  our  expense,"  said  Thorbiorn,  *4t  seems 
that  I  am  to  be  disgraced  in  my  sons  as  well  as 
daughter." 

**I  will  speak  to  Kolbiorn,"  Gisli  said. 
** Don't  upset  yourself  about  it." 

Thorbiorn  fumed.  **I  hear  you  at  it.  You 
beg  him  to  be  so  good  as  leave  us  alone.  We 
have  never  done  him  any  harm.  And  then — 
*I  thank  you,  Kolbiom,  for  your  generosity  in 
ceasing  to  insult  my  sister.  It  was  handsomely 
done.  My  father  is  greatly  in  your  debt.' 
That  will  have  a  fine  sound  in  my  ear  when  I 
kave  it  from  a  neighbour,  as  be  sure  I  shall." 

"Ah,"  says  Gisli,  **you  don't  understand,  fa- 


GISLI  SOUESSON  25 

ther.''  Old  Thorbiorn  stamped  away,  while 
Oisli  span  Ms  wheel  round. 

He  said  nothing  to  his  brother,  nothing  to 
his  sister.  The  first  would  have  refused  help, 
the  other  would  have  scorned  him.  Things  had 
so  shaped  themselves  that  the  cares  of  the  house 
were  on  his  young  shoulders.  He  did  not  him- 
self feel  angry  with  Kolbiom,  who  seemed  to 
him  a  nobody  in  particular.  Young  men  liked 
whispering  to  girls,  and  girls  liked  being  whis- 
pered to — or  so  it  seemed.  But  so  far  as  he 
had  noticed  anything  Thorkel  was  as  often  as 
not  with  the  pair  of  them;  and  if  Thorkel  saw 
nothing  amiss,  neither  did  he.  It  was  tire- 
some, because  there  were  many  things  he  had 
to  do,  important  things  and  interesting  things. 

But  he  collected  himself  for  his  task,  and  the 
very  next  time  Kolbiom  paid  a  visit  to  Stock 
he  made  it  his  business  to  be  about  the  house 
toward  the  end  of  the  day.  When  Kolbiom 
finally  came  out  of  the  house,  there  was  Gisli 
waiting  for  him. 

'*A  fine  night,''  says  Kolbiom— ^and  it  was, 
being  high  summer-time. 


26  THE  OUTLAW 

'^Very  fine/'  said  Gisli,  **and  I  am  minded 
to  go  a  part  of  your  way  with  you.'* 

They  struck  down  the  hillside  to  the  river, 
and  upstream  toward  the  head  of  the  dale 
where  Kolbiorn  must  ford  the  water. 

For  a  time  they  walked  in  silence.  Gisli  was 
never  one  for  much  speaking,  and  Kolbiorn,  who 
didn't  care  about  him,  had  nothing  to  say 
to  him.  So  when  Gisli  did  begin  to  talk  it 
sounded  harsh  and  abrupt,  and  as  if  he  were 
making  much  ado  about  nothing. 

**See  here,  Kolbiorn,"  he  said,  *'we  can't 
have  you  visiting  at  Stock  so  often  as  you  do. 
Few  words  are  best.    We  cannot  have  it." 

*^What  do  you  mean?  I  don't  understand 
that  at  all,"  said  Kolbiorn,  who  understood 
perfectly  well. 

^*My  father  has  grown  very  angry  about  your 
coming,  and  being  with  my  sister  so  much. 
People  tell  him  that  you  are  beguiling  her — and 
lie  is  in  a  great  taking  about  it." 

Kolbiorn  worked  himself  into  a  heat.  *^I 
think  you  are  taking  a  liberty — I  must  say  so. 
I  am  lonely  at  home,  as  you  know.    I  thought  I 


GISLI  SOUESSON  27 

was  among  friends,  but  it  seems  that  one  of  you 
at  least  is  not  friendly.'' 

**If  you  mean  me,  you  are  wrong.  I  am  al- 
ways friendly,''  said  Gisli.  ^^I  will  see  as  much 
of  you  as  you  please,  and  be  glad  of  it.  So  will 
Thorkel,  as  you  know." 

^*Why  has  Thorkel  said  nothing  of  this  to 
me?"  cried  Kolbiorn. 

'*It  is  enough  for  one  of  us  to  say  it," 
Gisli  said.  **And  I  hope  enough  has  been 
said." 

**More  than  enough,"  said  Kolbiorn.  '*It  is 
a  hateful  fix  to  put  me  in.  Your  father's  sus- 
picions on  one  side — my  own  feelings  on  the 
other — I  don't  know  what  to  do."  Gisli  re- 
mained bland  but  immovable. 

**Well,  I  have  done  what  I  could,"  he  said. 
'*  Having  gone  so  far,  you  may  be  sure  that  I 
shall  side  with  my  father  if  this  goes  on.  But 
I  hope  it  will  not.  I  have  spoken  for  the  best, 
hoping  to  put  an  end  to  the  thing  before  it  goes 
too  far.  But  I  tell  you  fairly,  if  it  goes  any 
further,  it  will  have  to  go  much  further." 

**What  do  you  mean?"  said  Kolbiorn. 


28  THE  OUTLAW 

*'Jnst  that,''  said  Gisli.  And  then  they 
parted. 

He  said  nothing  to  anybody  when  he  reached 
home,  and  was  asked  no  questions ;  but  it  is  a 
true  fact  that  Kolbiom  came  much  less  to  Stock 
for  a  while.  In  fact,  he  didn't  come  at  all  un- 
til Yule ;  and  then,  when  there  was  feasting  at 
the  house,  he  did  come,  being  asked  by  Thor- 
kel.  He  behaved  himself  well,  and  stayed  a 
few  days.  After  that,  the  temptations  were 
too  many  for  him.  He  came  one  morning  and 
saw  Thordis ;  he  came  again  and  saw  her  again; 
then  it  was  an  affair  of  every  day,  and  old  Thor- 
biom  worked  himself  into  a  frenzy.  Why  he 
didn't  speak  to  the  young  man  himself,  it  is 
difficult  to  see.  My  own  notion  is  that  he 
wanted  to  ease  himself  upon  Gisli,  to  use  the 
patient  lad  as  a  boar  uses  a  post,  to  rub  his 
tusk  upon.  That  is  what  he  did — ^to  gird  at 
Gisli  in  a  way  hard  to  bear. 

They  had  all  been  in  the  hall  that  early  win- 
ter evening — old  Thorbiom  tossing  his  foot  up 
and  down  by  the  fire ;  Gisli  working  at  a  little 
forge  he  had,  blowing  up  the  coals  or  hammer- 


CUSLI  SOUKSSON  29 

ing  away  at  Ms  bolts;  tlie  three  idlers  on  tlie 
cross-bench,  Thordis  in  the  middle,  Thorkel  on 
one  side  of  her,  Kolbiorn  on  the  other,  talking 
lightly,  making  jokes  which  nobody  nnderstood 
bnt  themselves,  and  laughing  the  more  readily 
because  they  set  themselves  thereby  still  fur- 
ther apart  from  the  rest.  It  was  hard  to  bear 
if  you  once  began  to  think  about  it,  and  so  Thor- 
biorn  found  it.  But  Gisli  was  busy  and  thought 
of  other  things. 

By  and  by,  when  the  old  man  saw  nothing  but 
bright  red  in  front  of  him,  the  three  graceless 
ones  went  out  on  some  business  of  their  own, 
and  Thorbiorn  turned  and  lashed  Gisli  with  his 
tongue. 

**This  is  the  end  of  your  girPs  work,  your 
begging  and  praying!  Are  you  a  son  of  mine 
or  a  daughter!  By  the  name  of  you  I  must 
have  thought  you  a  boy  when  you  were  bom. 
But  I  remember  my  brother  whose  name  you 
bear,  and  am  confounded.  Lucky  for  him  that 
he  never  grew  old,  to  see  my  sons  fit  themselves 
for  petticoats.  And  lucky  for  me  too,  I  dare- 
say/' 


30  THE  OUTLAW 

Gisli's  dark  face  grew  darker.  He  looked 
reproach.  **You  put  more  upon  me  than  you 
need,  I  think.  I  don't  know  why  I  am  to  put 
right  all  the  wrongs  in  this  house.  A  word 
from  you  would  have  done  all  that  was  needed.'' 

**In  my  young  days,"  said  Thorbiorn,  *^we 
did  not  use  so  many  words  as  you  do.  We  had 
another  way.  But  I'll  ask  no  more  of  you, 
since  I  see  that  your  heart  is  not  equal  to 
it." 

*'I  wish  you  could  let  my  heart  alone,"  said 
Gisli,  and  went  out  of  the  hall.  His  forge  ham- 
mer was  in  his  hand. 

Just  outside  the  door  were  the  three  partners 
in  disgrace.  Kolbiorn  had  Thordis'  hand.  He 
was  taking  leave  of  her.  Thorkel  with  a  cloak 
over  head  and  shoulders  was  waiting  for  him. 
They  seemed  very  easy  and  full  of  their  own 
affairs.  That  was  the  first  time  Gisli  ever 
knew  what  anger  was.  What  enraged  him  was 
that  they,  who  had  put  themselves  in  the  wrong, 
were  much  better  off  than  he  was.  There  was 
injustice  in  it,  the  thing  of  all  things  which  he 
could  not  put  up  with. 


GISLI  SOUESSON  31 

''Are  you  for  going  homeT'  said  Gisli,  very 
quietly. 

Kolbiom  stretched  himself.  ''Well,  I  think 
I  will  be  trotting.  Thorkel,  do  you  come  as  far 
as  the  ford  with  meT' 

"Well,  I  will,''  said  Thorkel. 

"So  will  I,''  Gisli  said.  Kolbiom  looked  at 
him — then  at  Thorkel  with  a  lifted  eyebrow. 
Gisli  felt  the  isolation  keenly ;  but  he  was  past 
that  discomfort.     Thorkel  took  no  notice. 

They  went  down  the  hill  in  silence,  Kolbiom 
whistling.  It  was  not  dark,  as  the  sky  was 
bright  with  stars,  and  the  snow  threw  up 
strongly.  It  was  deep  snow,  too;  but  by  the 
river  it  was  all  beaten  down. 

"IVe  made  a  path  for  you,''  said  Kolbiom 
with  a  laugh. 

"Indeed  you  have,"  said  Gisli,  "and  I  wish 
you  had  not.  You  have  forgotten  what  we 
talked  of  in  the  summer  on  this  road. ' ' 

"It  was  better  forgotten,"  said  Kolbiorn. 

"But  I  haven't  forgotten,"  Gisli  said,  "nor 
my  father  either.  Now  there  must  be  an  end  of 
it  all." 


32  THE  OUTLAW 

Thorkel  said  nothing.  He  was  walking  in 
front,  folded  in  his  cloak,  for  the  night  was  bit- 
ter cold.  He  showed  plainly  that  the  qnarrel 
was  no  business  of  his. 

Kolbiom  said,  ^*I  don't  see  how  that  is  to 
be." 

Gisli  said,  **But  I  do.  Either  yon  stop  visit- 
ing us,  or ^" 

^^Well?"  said  Kolbiom. 

'*0r,''  said  Oisli,  **we  stop  you." 

The  pair  of  them  stopped  at  that,  and  looked 
at  each  other.  Thorkel,  at  a  little  distance, 
stood  watching  them. 

*'Who  stops  me?"  said  Kolbiom. 

*^I  do."    Kolbiorn  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

**As  you  please.    You  may  try." 

Gisli  then  said,  **Do  you  undertake  to  keep 
away?" 

*^I  do  not,"  said  Kolbiom.  Gisli ^s  blood 
boiled  over.  His  hammer  was  in  his  hand.  He 
whirled  it  about  and  struck  Kolbiorn  on  the 
temple.  He  fell  sideways,  and  lay  with  his  head 
over  the  river-bank.  When  they  lifted  him 
he  was  dead. 


GISLI  SOUKSSON  33 

Thorkel  was  the  more  upset  of  the  two  of 
them.  He  would  not  speak  to  his  brother ;  nor 
would  he  go  home.  Gisli,  in  an  agony  of  regret 
for  the  days  when  he  and  Thorkel  were  happy 
together — days  which  he  felt  could  never  come 
again — ^would  have  done  anything  in  the  world 
to  appease  his  brother,  even  though  he  still  had 
the  sense  of  injustice  clearly  before  him.  Mon- 
strous it  was  that  he  should  have  to  uphold  the 
family  honour,  and  Thorkel  need  to  be  courted  I 
Yet  he  did  court  him — to  no  purpose. 

^*My  father  could  not  have  Thordis  beguiled. 
You  see  how  it  was.  I  asked  him  to  stop  com- 
ing— ^you  heard  him  refuse. '^  So  he  stam- 
mered excuses  which  ought  not  to  have  been 
asked  for.  All  to  no  purpose.  Thorkel  would 
not  look  at  him.  ^*It  was  hateful— he  was  my 
friend — ^'  was  all  he  had  to  say  before  he  set 
off  at  a  great  rate  up  the  river  away  from 
Stock. 

Gisli  did  what  was  needed  to  the  dead  man ; 
covered  him  in  his  cloak,  laid  the  hammer  be- 
side him  and  went  heavily  home. 

He  found  his  father  in  the  hall,  who  asked 


34  THE  OUTLAW. 

him,    ^*Well,   how  have   your  petitions   been 
heard  this  time?*' 
**They  have  been  heard,  father." 
*  *  Humph !  ^ '  said  Thorbiom.    '  *  Explain  your- 
self!'' 
^^Kolbiorn  won't  plague  you  any  more.'' 
The  light  shone  in  Thorbiom 's  eyes.    **Then 
he's  dead.'' 

**He's  dead,"  said  Gisli,  and  turned  away, 
sick  at  heart. 


in 

THE  FEUD 

THOEKEL  did  not  come  home  that  night, 
nor  the  next  day.  That  made  Gisli  feel 
as  if  he  had  killed  him  rather  than  Kolbiorn. 
Thordis  pretended  to  be  perfectly  indifferent 
abont  Kolbiorn 's  killing  and  ThorkePs  ab- 
isence ;  but  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  be  civil 
to  Gisli.  His  father,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
cordial,  and  treated  him  with  a  new  kind  of 
respect. 

After  some  days  Thorkel  was  heard  of.  He 
was  on  Saxa  Island,  staying  in  the  house  of  a 
man  known  as  Fighting  Skeggi,  a  kinsman  of 
Kolbiorn 's.  It  was  supposed  by  that  that  he 
had  ranged  himself  as  his  brother  Gisli  *s  en- 
emy; the  reports  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  he 
would  have  had  Skeggi  take  the  field  on  the 
part  of  his  cousin ;  but  old  Thorbiom  laughed  at 
that.    He  said  to  Gisli,  ^^Your  brother  seems 

35 


36  THE  OUTLAW 

woman-liearted,  but  I  don^t  believe  be  is  a 
fool.  He  will  come  back  to  bis  place  by  tbe 
fire,  yon  will  see.  Old  as  I  am,  be  knows  I  am 
a  matcb  for  a  dozen  like  bim.  And  as  for  you, 
be  bas  found  out  wbat  you  can  do.*'  In  tbe 
meantime,  Bard,  wbo  bad  been  Kolbiorn's  close 
friend  in  tbe  old  days,  now  came  up  to  Stock 
on  bis  own  account,  and  after  a  little  wbile  told 
Gisli  tbat  be  intended  to  propose  bimself  for 
Tbordis.  '*Wbat  do  you  tbink  of  tbat?"  be 
asked  bun  witb  a  ratber  bleak  grin.  Gisli  did 
not  tbink  mucb  of  it,  but  said  that  be  sbould 
bave  no  voice  in  tbe  matter.  Bard  made  bim- 
self very  pleasant,  and  was  often  at  Stock, 
but  never  unless  Gisli  or  tbe  old  man  were  pres- 
ent. Tbordis  was  friendly,  but  no  more.  Sbe 
bad  forgotten  ber  resentment  witb  Gisli,  if  sbe 
bad  ever  bad  one.  Nobody  really  knew  wbat 
Tbordis  tbougbt  or  felt.  Sbe  bad  a  bold  way 
witb  ber,  and  sbowed  berseK  indifferent  to  good 
or  ill  fortune  alike — out  of  bravado,  it  was 
tbougbt.  At  any  rate  sbe  kept  ber  bead  very 
bigb,  squared  ber  sboulders,  and  walked  tbe 
world  as  if  sbe  did  not  belong  to  it,  but  ratber 


THE  FEUD  37 

as  if  the  whole  span  of  it  was  subject  to  her- 
self. 

Then  finally,  and  after  a  long  interval,  Thor- 
kel  came  up  to  Stock,  with  Skeggi  and  Skeggi's 
men,  all  on  horseback — some  twenty  of  them, 
it  may  be.  Gisli  received  them  at  the  door, 
and  brought  them  into  the  hall.  Old  Thor- 
biom^s  shaggy  brows  were  knit  as  he  stood  up 
to  face  them.  He  was  dry  with  his  handsome 
son.  *  ^  So  you  have  remembered  that  you  were 
bom  and  bred  here,  have  you?  Somebody  has 
told  you  that  you  have  a  father,  brother  and  sis- 
ter living.  They  have  heard  tell  of  you  too; 
but  in  such  words  as  made  it  hard  to  be- 
lieve.'' 

Thorkel  took  the  rebuke  pleasantly,  with  an 
easy  smile.  **They  shall  learn  the  truth  about 
me,''  he  said.  **It  does  not  do  to  believe  every- 
thing you  hear." 

They  were  well  entertained,  and  the  evening 
passed  over  without  discord  until  Thorkel,  af- 
ter supper,  broached  the  reason  of  the  visit  in 
force.  After  laying  stress  upon  the  killing  of 
Kolbiorn,  for  which  he  blamed  Gisli 's  hot  tern- 


38  THE  OUTLAW 

per,  and  was  not  gainsaid  by  old  Throbiom,  he 
next  went  on  to  point  out  what  he  called  a  way 
of  **  composing  the  feud/^  Thorbiom  snorted 
at  the  word. 

**Feud!'^  he  said,  '4t  takes  two  to  make  a 
fend.  I  see  nobody  with  a  good  word  for  that 
worthless  loon  who  has  been  slain/' 

•Here  Skeggi  grew  rather  red  in  the  face,  and 
said  that  his  kinsman  was  highly  connected  by 
^Hhose  who  cannot  see  such  an  indignity  pass 
unatoned.  But  I  have  come  with  a  fair  offer, 
Thorbiorn,  which  seems  to  me  hopeful/'  Then 
he  opened  his  mind,  which  was  set  upon  the 
possession  of  Thordis.  Directly  Thorbiom  un- 
derstood what  he  was  after,  he  flatly  refused 
him,  giving  no  reason  but  that  he  had  other 
plans  in  his  head. 

**It  won't  suit  us  here  at  all,"  he  said,  **and 
I  hope  you  will  take  that  for  an  answer. ' ' 

Skeggi  said  it  was  very  strange  ^^  after  what 
had  happened."  Thorbiorn  replied  that 
*  *  strange ' '  was  exactly  what  it  was  not.  Skeggi 
said,  that  was  not  the  end  of  it ;  and  Thorbiom, 
that  it  was,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned;  and 


THE  FEUD  39 

after  that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  go 
away. 

Thorkel  went  off  with  them,  without  having 
passed  a  single  word  with  Gisli. 

In  talking  it  over,  Thorkel  and  Skeggi  con- 
cluded that  Bard  was  at  the  bottom  of  it,  and 
Skeggi  determined  that  he  would  show  his  met- 
tle upon  Bard's  body.  Bard  was  a  strongly- 
made  man,  red-haired  and  small  in  the  eye.  He 
received  the  challenge  to  fight  on  Saxa  Island, 
and  accepted  it  at  once;  but  he  rode  off  to 
Stock  directly  the  challengers  had  gone  and 
told  Gisli  all  about  it. 

*'Well,''  said  Gisli,  **what  is  all  that  to  do 
with  me?'*    Bard  stared  at  him. 

*^Why,''  he  said,  **I  hoped,  naturally,  that 
you  would  back  me  up  in  it.  He's  a  famous 
fighter,  is  Skeggi.'' 

Gisli  wanted  to  be  let  alone,  but  did  not  see 
how  to  refuse.  He  gave  his  promise,  and  went 
on  with  what  he  was  working  at. 

A  week  went  by  and  he  heard  no  more  from 
Bard ;  and  then  one  day  he  met  him  in  the  wood 
below  his  house.    **When  do  you  meet  Skeggi, 


4Q  THE  OUTLAW 

Bardr^    lie    asks.    Bard    looked    very    glum. 

'*See  here/'  lie  said.  **I  hope  yon  nnder- 
stand  why  I  am  called  upon,  and  why  I  answered 
as  I  did.'' 

Gisli  said,  **I  suppose  Skeggi  thought  you 
stood  in  his  way  with  Thordis.    Was  that  it?" 

' '  Yes, ' '  said  Bard.  ' '  That  was  it.  Well,  my 
question  to  you  now  is,  Do  I  stand  in  his  way 
or  not?" 

**I  can't  answer  you,"  said  Gisli.  **I  don't 
know  anything  about  my  father's  wishes  for 
Thordis.  You  had  better  settle  with  him  after- 
wards. ' ' 

*'I  had  rather  settle  it  first,"  Bard  said;  and 
then,  when  Gisli  made  no  reply  to  that,  he  said 
in  another  kind  of  voice,  **It  is  a  fact  that  I 
have  no  wish  to  fight  with  Skeggi." 

Gisli  looked  squarely  at  him.  ^*Do  you  mean 
that  you  will  not?" 

**Yes,"  said  Bard.  ^*I  have  been  thinking  it 
over.    I  shall  not  go  to  Saxa." 

Gisli  did  not  understand  him.  *^You  are 
afraid  of  him?"  Bard  shrugged.  **You  are 
afraid  of  him.    I  never  knew  that  men  feared 


THE  FEUD  41 

each  other,  and  said  so.  You  are  a  miserable 
wretch  who  will  put  us  all  to  shame.  It  means 
that  I  must  go  myself.  The  second  time  that 
I  have  had  another  man's  quarrel  thrust  on 
me.''  Bard  walked  slowly  away  up  the  hill  to 
his  house. 

Gisli  said  nothing  about  this  affair  at  home, 
lest  there  should  be  a  fuss  made.  His  father 
had  a  greater  love  of  fighting  than  he  had  him- 
self. To  him  it  was  a  nuisance,  a  thing  to  be  got 
over  as  soon  as  might  be.  He  was  not  a  bom 
fighter — far  from  it ;  but,  to  his  mind,  when  you 
had  got  yourself  into  a  corner  you  must  get 
yourself  out  again;  and  it  made  no  difference 
whether  the  cornering  of  you  had  been  done  by 
yourself  or  another.  There  you  were.  When 
the  day  came  on  he  told  some  of  the  hinds  that 
he  should  want  them  to  ride  with  him  to  Saxa, 
and  was  up,  armed  and  away  before  his  father 
was  out  of  bed. 

It  was  a  long  ride  and  he  was  somewhat  late 
at  the  ferry.  By  the  time  he  had  his  ten  men 
over  and  mounted  again,  Skeggi  was  fuming; 
by  the  time  they  entered  the  little  wood  which 


42  THE  OUTLAW 

separated  the  holm-gang  from  the  shore,  Skeggi 
was  railing  at  cowards  and  cravens.  Soon 
Gisli  caught  sight  of  him,  a  fine  figure  in  bright 
mail,  with  his  famous  sword  Warflame  in  his 
hand.  Then  Skeggi  saw  him,  and  called  out, 
**  Where  is  your  champion,  Gisli  T' 

Gisli  said,  **He  is  here.'' 

**Are  you  for  doing  Bard's  work?" 

*'I  am  for  doing  what  comes  in  my  way.'^ 

**And  taking  it  too?" 

^^ That's  of  course." 

**Our  friend  Bard,"  said  Skeggi,  ** knows 
what  is  good  for  him." 

** That's  to  be  seen,"  said  Gisli. 

Gisli  had  a  battle-ax  to  face  Warflame,  and 
a  long  shield  of  his  own  devising.  It  had  a 
rim  of  steel,  and  steel  ribs  welded  into  a  steel 
backbone.  They  faced  each  other  in  the  lists, 
and  Skeggi,  who  was  very  limber  and  excit- 
able, leapt  about,  hewing  at  Gisli  and  singing 
as  he  slashed  at  him  the  praises  of  Warflame. 
But  Warflame  rang  upon  the  shield  in  vain. 

Gisli  bided  his  time,  but  after  a  heavy  blow 
from  Skeggi,  which  missed  him  altogether  and 


THE  FEUD  43 

nearly  brought  his  assailant  on  to  his  nose,  he 
slashed  at  his  shield  with  the  heavy  ax,  and 
cut  clean  through  the  lower  part  of  it,  and  clean 
through  Skeggi's  left  leg.  That  ended  the 
battle.  Skeggi^s  friends  had  to  ransom  him 
out  of  the  lists,  and  then  he  was  carried  off 
to  his  house.  Thorkel  stayed  behind  and 
seemed  wishful  to  speak  to  his  brother. 

Gisli  made  it  easy  for  him.  ^^Don^t  you  go 
with  your  friend?"  he  asked. 

Thorkel  said,  **You  have  done  very  valiantly, 
taking  on  Bard's  quarrel.'' 

**It  had  to  be  done,"  Gisli  said.  ''Our  name 
was  involved  in  the  matter  on  account  of  our 
handsome  sister.  It  was  for  her  sake  that  I 
quarrelled  with  Kolbiorn;  but  I  don't  mind 
telling  you  now  that  I  did  not  intend  his 
death." 

Thorkel  said,  ''Well,  that  is  done;  and  now 
it  seems  to  me  that  we  must  band  ourselves  to- 
gether against  Skeggi's  kindred.  I  shall  cer- 
tainly go  home  now  with  you.  I  believe  our 
father  will  be  glad  to  have  me  there,  sooner 
or  later." 


44  THE  OUTLAW 

Gdsli  laughed.  *  ^  Yon  may  be  sure  of  it.  He 
thiiiks  a  great  deal  of  you.'' 

So  the  brothers  went  home  together,  and  were 
well  received.  All  Surnadale  thought  highly  of 
Gisli  for  his  feats — yet  the  odd  thing  was  that 
Thorkel,  who  had  done  nothing,  had  his  share 
in  all  his  brother's  consideration — for  no  better 
reason,  as  it  appeared,  than  that  he  had  come 
back. 

Skeggi  had  gone  near  losing  his  life  as  well 
as  his  leg;  but  he  was  tough,  and  did  not  lose 
it.  He  was  a  middle-aged  man,  a  widower, 
with  jBne  sons  of  his  own  who  now  took  the 
quarrel  upon  themselves,  and  cried  up  a  feud 
against  Surnadale  all  over  their  country.  Einar 
and  Ame  were  the  names  of  Skeggi 's  sons;  and 
they  it  was  who  drove  the  house  of  Stock  out 
of  Norway. 


TV 

FIRB 

THOSE  two  young  men  laid  their  plans  well 
and  silently,  for  the  blow  came  upon 
Stock  on  a  winter  ^s  night,  as  little  expected  as 
a  clap  of  thunder.  They  had  gathered  a  band 
of  men  together — they  were  forty  strong — and 
marching  by  night,  had  broken  in  first  upon 
Bard  at  Hella  and  haled  him  from  his  bed. 
Dazed  and  with  his  teeth  clattering  in  his  head, 
he  had  stood  in  his  own  hall  before  armed  men 
with  pine-wood  torches. 

*^What  do  you  want  of  me,  neighbours?  I 
have  never  harmed  a  soul,  and  will  you  bear 
me  a  grudge  for  that!'* 

*' You  shall  come  with  us,  you  and  your  house- 
hold,'' they  said,  ''or  there's  an  end  of  you." 

''A  man  will  work  for  his  life,"  said  Bard, 
''if  needs  will  have  it.  But  what  am  I  to  do 
for  mine?"    Then  he  was  told. 

45 


46  THE  OUTLAW 

**We  are  going  to  Stock,  to  set  light  to  Thor- 
biorn^s  house.    You  must  be  in  it,  or  die  here.'* 

^  *  Eh,  I  will  come  with  you, ' '  said  Bard ;  *  *  and 
why  should  I  not!  They  egged  me  on  to  fight 
with  your  father,  and  when  I  had  served  their 
turn,  threw  me  over.  They  are  nothing  to  me, 
as  little  as  I  am  to  them.  If  that  is  all  you 
want,  you  are  easily  paid.'* 

Increased  by  ten  men  they  set  their  faces  now 
to  Surnadale,  and  reached  the  House  of  Stock 
in  the  small  hours.  A  steady  wind  was  blow- 
ing up  the  dale  from  the  sea,  carrying  cold  mist 
with  it.  It  was  cold  and  raw,  but  yet  wet 
enough  to  melt  the  snow.  That  fell  with  heavy 
flop  from  the  branches  of  pines,  and  made  the 
ways  difficult;  but  there  was  still  light  enough 
thrown  from  it  for  them  to  see  what  they  were 
about. 

At  Stock  everything  was  quiet.  They  helped 
themselves  to  kindling  from  the  outbuildings, 
reared  a  great  pile  at  the  front  door,  another 
at  the  door  of  the  storehouse,  and  set  light  to 
each.  The  wind  blew  directly  upon  the  greater 
fire   and  drowned  the  house  in   smoke.    The 


FIEE  47 

besiegers  with  their  weapons  lined  up  on  the 
weather  side  to  see  that  nobody  came  out  alive. 
In  a  very  short  time  the  roof  caught,  and  the 
flame  ran  over  it  like  a  nest  of  flat-headed 
snakes  suddenly  let  loose.  There  was  some 
shouting  which  could  not  be  restrained,  for  the 
sight  of  destruction  drives  men  mad. 

It  was  the  shouting  which  awoke  Grisli.  He 
sat  up  in  bed,  felt  the  smoke  in  his  nose,  and 
instantly  knew  what  it  was.  He  plunged  into 
the  hall,  and  saw  the  throbbing  of  the  light 
between  the  window-slats.  He  listened  and 
heard  then  the  crackling  and  roaring  overhead. 
The  door  was  near  six  inches  thick,  and  would 
hold  yet  awhile.  He  ran  into  the  storehouse, 
and  saw  another  fire,  but  smaller.  By  that  time 
he  was  joined  by  Thorkel,  and  one  or  two  of  his 
men.    **We  are  trapped  here,''  Thorkel  said. 

**I  think  not,''  said  Gisli,  **but  I  am  going 
to  find  out.  Go  you  and  waken  our  father; 
fetch  Thordis  and  whom  else  you  can.  Glum, 
come  you  with  me."     Glum  was  a  hind. 

Thorkel  sped  away.  Gisli  took  two  men  with 
him,  and  unfastened  some  of  the  bolts  of  the 


48  THE  OUTLAW 

false  wall  of  Ms  storehouse.  Then  he  was  able 
to  push  out  some  of  the  outside  planks  and  put 
his  head  and  shoulders  through.  He  came  back 
into  the  room.  **  There  is  fire,  but  I  can  put  it 
out.''  He  looked  quickly  round  at  the  stores. 
*^Q-et  your  buckets,''  he  said.    *^I  have  it." 

They  came  with  buckets.  **I  will  get  out- 
side," he  said.  **Fill  your  buckets  of  that 
whey  there  and  pass  them  out  to  me."  There 
were  two  great  barrels  of  sour  milk  standing 
in  the  storehouse.  With  it  he  was  able  to  put 
out  the  fire  on  that  side  the  house.  Before  he 
had  done  it  Thorbiorn,  Thordis,  Thorkel  and 
ten  or  twelve  more  were  in  the  storehouse. 

Gisli  took  the  lead  directly  he  was  back  in  the 
room.  ^*You  are  all  armed!  Good.  Now  fol- 
low me  out,  and  keep  in  the  thick  of  the  smoke. 
Follow  it  up  into  the  woods.  They  will  never 
find  us — they  will  never  look  for  us  to  be  out 
this  way.  They  will  be  before  the  door  and 
clear  of  the  smother.  Are  you  ready!  Then  I 
will  go." 

He  went  through  the  hole  in  the  wall,  and 
stood  to  help  out  the  others.    He  was  quite 


FIEE  49 

cool,  and  bis  plain,  sensible,  cbeerful,  every- 
day self.  Tborbiorn  was  cboking  witb  rage, 
and  Tborkel  was  for  rusbing  round  upon  tbe 
foe ;  but  Gisli  would  not  bear  of  it.  *'Tbey  will 
be  fifty  or  sixty  men  at  tbe  very  least.  You 
will  bave  your  turn  at  tbem  by  and  by.  But, 
we  are  beaten  at  tbe  moment  and  must  bide  our- 
selves.'' He  led  tbem  into  tbe  woods,  and 
steadily  mounted  tbe  bill.  Tbere  were  crags 
upon  tbe  top,  and  certain  caves  in  tbem  wbicb 
be  knew  well.  Tbere  tbey  croucbed  and  saw  tbe 
destruction  of  Stock.  Wben  tbe  roof  fell  in 
tbe  flames  leapt  up,  as  it  seemed,  above  tbeir 
beads. 

After  tbat  tbey  saw  tbe  fire  die  down,  for  tbe 
mist  turned  to  driving  rain  as  tbe  dawn  came 
on,  and  tbere  was  even  some  bope  of  saving  a 
few  tbings  from  tbe  wreckage. 

It  was  still  Gisli  wbo  ordered  tbe  forlorn 
camp.  He  set  men  to  building  a  fire  in  tbe 
cave,  be  sent  otbers  out  to  tbe  tenantry  for 
food  and  coverings;  be  went  bimself  to  spy 
for  tbe  enemy,  and  could  come  back  and  report 
tbem  all  away.    It  was  not  very  long  before  be 


50  THE  OUTLAW 

was  at  work  making  a  cover  for  their  heads; 
but  he  would  not  suffer  the  old  house  to  be  set 
up  again,  and,  having  Thorkel  on  his  side  for 
once,  was  able  to  persuade  his  father  that  when 
all  was  done  which  remained  to  be  done,  Surna- 
dale  would  be  no  place  for  them. 

He  intended  to  repay  Skeggi  in  kind,  for,  ac- 
cording to  him,  that  was  mere  justice.  But, 
as  he  said,  a  life  of  running  warfare  was  not 
to  his  taste.  He  was  himself  for  Iceland,  and 
if  his  kinsfolk  would  not  go  with  him,  he  would 
go  without  them.  His  father  was  the  only  one 
who  had  any  feeling  in  the  matter.  He  was 
well  past  middle  age  and  spoke  of  himself,  and 
acted  too,  as  if  he  were  much  older  than  he  was. 
Thorkel  was  very  indifferent  whither  he  went; 
Thordis  wanted  to  go ;  and  as  Thordis  and  Gisli 
were  the  strong  minds  of  the  family,  the  thing 
was  settled.  **Good,"  said  Gisli,  when  he  had 
his  father's  undertaking.  **Now  I  will  set 
about  ship-building  with  a  free  heart.  You  will 
not  see  me  here  yet  awhile." 

He  was  as  good  as  his  word,  for  they  had 
no  sight  or  report  of  him  until  the  end  of  the 


FIRE  51 

following  summer,  when  he  brought  into  the 
frith  a  fine  roomy  vessel  with  two  boats  astern. 

It  should  be  said  here  what,  among  other 
things,  was  found  in  the  ruins  of  Stock,  a  roll 
of  undressed  oxhide,  and  within  it  the  two 
pieces  of  a  broken  sword.  They  were  brought 
up  by  Gisli  to  his  father,  with  the  question, 
**  Whose  sword  was  thatT'  Thorbiom  took 
them  into  his  hands.  ^^That  sword  should  be 
sacred  to  you,''  he  said,  **for  it  cost  the  life  of 
your  kinsman,  my  brother,  and  gave  me  the 
estate  which  has  reared  you.  That  is  the  sword 
Grayflanks,  the  best  sword  in  the  world." 

He  told  the  story  over.  Gisli 's  comment 
upon  it  was  that  it  was  an  unchancy  thing  to 
have  about.  **It  has  done  mischief  enough,  for 
one  thing,  and  looks  as  if  it  can  never  do  any 
more.  Why  should  you  keep  itT'  Thorbiom 
was  handling  the  pieces.  *^Feel  the  edge,  my 
son,"  he  said.  *^You  will  never  smithy  a 
sword  like  that  in  your  days."  Gisli  admitted 
the  fineness  of  the  temper,  but  said  that  there 
must  have  been  a  flaw  in  it — ''otherwise  how 
should  it  break  in  that  manner?"    Thorbiom 


52  THE  OUTLAW 

said,  **It  was  used  against  its  owner.    It  would 
sooner  die  itself  than  slay  him/' 

Gisli  believed  it.  **WeU,  we  will  give  it 
houseroom, ' '  he  said,  ^'though  plainly  there  is 
no  luck  in  the  thing.''  So  Grayflanks  abode  at 
Stock,  and  in  due  time  went  to  Iceland  with 
Thorbiom  and  his  sons. 


BEGINNING  AGAIN 

GISLI,  after  a  long  and  harassing  voyage, 
brought  his  ship  round  the  Horn  and 
westward  to  the  great  firths.  He  sailed  into 
Dyrafirth,  which  is  both  narrow  and  deep,  and 
cast  anchor  in  the  month  of  the  Hawkdale 
water.  He  looked  up  that  dark  dale  settling 
down  into  the  night,  and  wondered  what  fate 
had  in  store  for  him  in  this  land  of  mountain 
and  swift  water.  Hawkdale  itself  was  so  nar- 
row, its  mountain  masses  so  tall,  that  his  eye 
lost  itself  in  the  dark  less  than  half-way  up. 
But  he  heard  the  thunder  of  the  force  far  out 
•of  sight,  and  could  picture  the  wet  rocks  and 
tossing  branches  of  its  outleap  to  the  sea.  Out 
in  the  open  the  scene  was  not  so  mournful. 
The  waters  of  the  firth  were  a  sheet  of  silver; 
and  though  mountains  rose  beyond  it,  and  on 
every  side  which  the  eye  could  take  in,  they 

53 


54  THE  OUTLAW 

were  further  off.  Good  land  lay  between  them 
and  the  sea;  he  noticed  cattle  out  in  the  pas- 
tures, on  the  lower  slopes ;  among  the  turf  and 
bracken,  sheep  were  crawling,  no  bigger  than 
maggots.  Smoke  rose  in  a  straight  blue  column 
from  a  hidden  house  across  the  firth.  He  saw 
haystacks  near  by.  So  men  lived  and  laboured 
and  loved  here,  and  it  might  be  allowed  him 
to  be  one  of  them.  Norway,  Surnadale  and 
hateful  things  forced  upon  him  by  necessity,  all 
lay  behind  him.  Fire  and  sword,  ill-blood, 
slaughter  upon  slaughter,  all  past  and  over 
now!     So  at  least  he  longed  to  believe. 

In  the  morning  when  the  sun  gilded  the  water 
and  burnt  the  hills — only  Hawkdale  still 
gloomed  in  dark — there  were  boats  at  the  ship's 
side,  and  others  on  the  way,  while  on  the  shore 
were  groups  of  people  looking  at  them  and 
talking  about  them.  Portly  men,  cloaked  and 
booted,  came  up  the  side  and  greeted  Thorbiorn 
with  gravity  and  careful  words,  non-committal. 
In  such  affairs  as  these  Thorbiorn  still  took  the 
lead,  an  old  man  of  commanding  presence,  fiery 
eyes  half  hidden  under  his  brows,  and  a  jutting 


BEGINNING  AGAIN  55 

white  beard.  By  him  stood  Thorkel,  his  hand- 
some son,  in  the  fine  raiment  which  he  loved; 
and  Thordis,  too,  blue-eyed  and  high-coloured, 
with  her  fair  hair  in  one  long  and  thick  plait 
more  than  halfway  down  her  back.  She  also 
dressed  herself  rarely,  in  scarlet  cloth  of  the 
finest  face ;  with  long  gold  ear-rings  in  her  ears 
and  a  gold  girdle  round  her  loins.  Gisli,  who 
had  been  working  hard  since  the  grey  of  the 
dawn,  was  in  shirt  and  cotton  breeches,  with 
bare  feet  and  arms.  His  hair  was  rough,  his 
beard  untrimmed.  Nobody  noticed  him;  and 
he,  full  of  his  business  with  the  crew,  had  no 
thoughts  to  spare  for  company.  So  while  the 
chief  men  of  the  place  were  below  with  Thor- 
biorn  and  Thorkel,  Gisli  was  unloading  the  ship, 
getting  out  tents,  taking  them  ashore,  putting 
them  up,  and  setting  the  women  to  work  with 
fires  and  cooking-pots.  The  people  on  shore, 
however,  were  friendly  and  disposed  to  help 
him.  It  was  while  he  was  busy  there  that  a 
bright-eyed,  good-looking  young  man  of  his  own 
age  picked  him  out  of  all  his  hands  for  welcome. 
He  said  that  his  name  was  Vestan,  that  he  lived 


56  THE  OUTLAW 

at  Hest  on  Aunnndarfirth,  and  had  come  over 
about  some  cattle  which  he  had  bought.  Gisli 
took  to  him  at  once,  and  made  no  concealment 
of  his  plans.  He  said  that  there  had  been  great 
trouble  in  Norway — burnings  and  slaughters 
into  which  his  family  had  been  dragged  against 
its  will.  He  hoped  to  settle  quietly  in  this  new 
country;  and  then,  **We  shall  be  glad  of  your 
help,  too,  if  you  are  disposed  to  grant  if 
Vestan  said  that  he  would  do  everything  he 
could. 

**And  where  do  you  think  of  looking  for 
land?'^  he  asked.  Gisli  looked  about  him,  as  if 
he  were  going  to  choose  on  the  spot.  His  eye 
fell  on  dark  Hawkdale. 

**It  looks  quiet  up  there,  ^'  he  said. 

Vestan  laughed.  **You  will  hear  little  but 
the  force.  As  for  the  land,  it  is  good,  what 
there  is  of  it.  But  the  sun  never  gets  there  ex- 
cept in  high  summer;  and  I  don't  know  much 
about  the  neighbours  you  will  have.  Now  I 
should  like  you  to  see  my  house  at  Hest.  It 
stands  high,  on  a  shoulder  of  the  mountain,  full 
in  the  sun.    We  have  grazing  in  plenty  all  about 


BEGINNING  AGAIN  57 

us,  and  a  little  cornland  too;  but  the  best  of 
that  lies  below  us  on  the  firth.  Before  you 
settle  on  anything  I  hope  you  will  pay  me  a 
visit." 

**I  will  surely  come,''  said  Gisli,  and  Vestan 
showed  his  fine  white  teeth. 

**Come  soon,  then,  for  who  knows  when  I 
may  be  off?  My  business  is  on  the  sea,  you 
must  know,  but  I  am  at  home  just  now  to  re- 
fit, and  hope  to  stay  out  the  harvest." 

** Trust  me,"  said  Gisli,  **and  many  thanks  to 
you.  My  father  will  buy  what  land  suits  him 
best,  I  suppose ;  but  I  should  like  to  settle  down 
on  my  own  account  soon,  and  will  see  your  coun- 
try before  I  do." 

**You  are  married?"  Vestan  asked  him. 
Gisli  shook  his  head. 

**No — ^but  I  have  thought  about  it." 

'*You  will  see  my  wife  at  Hest,"  said  Vestan, 
**and  then  you  will  have  no  doubts.  And  my 
sister  Aud  lives  with  us.  And  two  strong  boys 
of  mine  you  will  see  at  Hest."  They  parted 
with  cordial  words,  the  best  of  friends;  and 
Gisli 's  heart  was  uplifted.    *'I  am  not  much  of 


58  THE  OUTLAW, 

a  one  for  friendship/'  he  thought,  ^^but  I  take 
greatly  to  that  seaman.  It  will  be  my  fault  if 
we  are  not  close  friends  in  times  to  come.'' 

When  the  camp  was  shipshape  and  the  meal 
under  way,  G-isli  rowed  out  to  the  ship  to  fetch 
off  his  people.  He  found  that  his  father  had 
spoken  for  some  land  belonging  to  a  certain 
Thorkel  Ericsson  and  intended  to  see  it  as  soon 
as  might  be.  That  land  lay  halfway  up  Hawk- 
dale,  on  either  side  the  river,  and  was  called 
SeaboU.  There  was  a  good  site  for  a  house 
upon  it,  and  Thorbiom  determined  to  have  it  if 
he  could  settle  the  price  to  his  liking.  That  took 
some  time,  as  Thorbiom  was  obstinate  and  the 
owner  greedy.  Gisli  thought  it  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  ride  over  the  hills  into  Aunundarfirth 
to  see  his  friend  Vestan. 

He  was  well  received  there,  in  a  good  and 
roomy  house,  by  Vestan  and  his  wife  Gunn- 
hilda;  and  there  he  saw  Aud,  the  grave-eyed 
sister  of  Vestan,  and  lost  his  heart  to  her.  It 
was  not  that  many  words  passed  between  them ; 
and  it  was  not  either  that  her  f^omeUness,  colour 


BEGINNING  AGAIN  59 

and  shape  drew  Ms  desire  towards  her.  He 
thought  afterwards  that  she  seemed  the  home 
of  peace,  and  quiet  and  gentle  thoughts.  He 
said,  That  is  a  girl  to  whom  I  could  bring  my 
troubles,  being  sure  that  she  would  understand 
them  without  much  spoken.  Again  he  thought, 
She  is  beautiful  as  the  evening  is  beautiful 
and  not  as  the  day.  And  yet  again,  Her  eyes 
are  like  lakes  when  the  moon  is  rising  and  the 
wind  falling.  And  it  seemed  to  him  that  her 
name,  Aud,  became  her  well,  and  him  too,  the 
child  of  destiny.  For  Aud  means  Fate,  and 
Fate  rules  men. 

He  spent  two  happy  days  in  her  company 
and  then  rode  back  into  Hawkdale  to  find  the 
land  taken  up,  and  his  father  and  brother 
vexed  at  his  absence.  They  expected  him  to 
build  the  housestead  for  them. 

He  was  not  to  disappoint  them,  but  set  to 
work  at  once  and  never  left  off  till  he  had 
finished  it.  Vestan  came  over  more  than  twice 
to  help  him,  and  they  made  a  fine,  roomy  house 
of  it,  and  finished  it  down  to  the  last  bolt  be- 
fore the  winter.    Thorkel  was  away  most  of  th^ 


60  THE  OUTLAW 

time,  staying  with  various  friends  he  had  made. 
He  was  always  the  popular  man. 

Gisli  told  Vestan  the  state  of  his  feelings 
towards  his  sister  Aud,  and  Vestan  took  the 
news  very  well.  **Any  man  might  be  happy 
with  her/'  he  said,  **but  it  could  not  be  said 
of  you,  my  friend,  that  you  would  suit  every 
woman." 

**No,  indeed,"  said  Gisli.  *'My  brother 
Thorkel  is  the  man  for  that." 

**A  fine  dashing  man  he  is,"  Vestan  said, 
'*and  your  sister  Thordis  is  of  his  make  and 
favour.  But  I  warrant  Aud  would  choose  for 
you  before  Thorkel,  if  I  know  anything  of  her." 

**It  is  likely  that  she  will  have  the  chance 
of  it,"  Gisli  said.  **I  never  saw  a  girl  like 
her  in  my  days.  To  be  sure,  I  have  had  small 
dealings  with  women." 

**That  is  by  no  means  the  case  with  me," 
Vestan  said.  **I  am  well  off  now,  but  don^t  de- 
serve to  be." 

**I  believe  that  for  the  most  part  we  get 
what  we  have  deserved,"  said  Gisli,  "but  I 


BEGINNING  AGAIN  61 

grant  you  that  your  fate  is  not  always  in  your 
own  hands.  Consider  my  case,  now.  No 
more  peaceable  man  lives  in  the  world  than  my- 
self, and  yet  for  the  last  two  or  three  years 
I  have  been  involved  in  strife  and  man-slay- 
ings,  never  of  my  seeMng.  A  man  beguiled  my 
sister  Thordis,  and  refused  to  stop  it.  Twice 
he  refused.  He  was  my  brother's  friend  and 
might  have  listened  to  him.  But  Thorkel  would 
say  nothing,  and  the  second  time  he  refused  me 
I  hit  him — once.  But  it  killed  him.  And  so 
it  has  gone  on  without  end.  I  believe  myself 
that  I  am  an  unlucky  man,  and  think  so  much 
of  Aud  that,  for  her  sake,  I  scarce  dare  put  it 
to  her.    Now  what  do  you  say  to  that  r' 

Vestan  said,  **I  would  ask  her  if  I  were  in 
your  case.  I  think  a  man  should  follow  his 
mind. '  * 

''If  I  do  that,''  Gisli  said,  ^'there's  no  doubt 
whither  it  will  lead  me.'' 

That  winter  he  contrived  to  be  two  or  three 
times  at  Hest,  though  he  said  nothing  to  Aud 


62  THE  OUTLAT^^ 

of  his  feelings  towards  her.  She  told  her 
sister-in-law  that  she  liked  him  more  than  a 
little.  *'If  he  asks  for  me  he  shall  have  me 
she  said. 


M 
1 


PAETNEESHIP 

THORBIORN  SOUR  lived  jnst  a  year  in 
his  new  house,  and  then  died  of  a  cold 
in  the  chest.  They  buried  him  in  the  hillside, 
and  reared  a  mound  over  him,  and  that  even- 
ing the  brothers  and  sister  talked  over  what 
they  should  do.  It  was  a  question  whether  they 
should  divide  the  inheritance  or  stay  on  as  they 
were.  The  latter  was  what  Thorkel  wanted. 
He  never  did  any  work,  and  did  not  intend  to 
do  any  if  he  could  help  it.  Gisli,  he  knew, 
would  work  all  day  and  be  miserable  if  he  did 
not.  That  suited  Thorkel  exactly;  so  when 
Gisli  said  with  some  hesitation  that  he  was 
thinking  of  marrying,  Thorkel  said  at  once, 
**So  am  I.'*    Thordis   opened  her  blue  eyes. 

**Why,  whom  do  you  intend  to  marry  V  she 
asked  Thorkel. 

He  told  her.    **It  is   Asgerd,  daughter  of 

63 


64  THE  OUTLAW 

Thobiom  Seal-knop  of  Talknafirth/ *  There 
was  no  gainsaying  her  quality.  She  was  a  very 
pretty  girl  indeed,  a  rich  one,  and  much 
courted.     Thordis  turned  to  Gisli. 

*^And  who  is  your  choice,  thenT*'  He  told 
her. 

Thordis  said,  **I  am  none  the  wiser,  as  I  have 
never  seen  her.  But  I  guess  her  to  be  a  quiet 
and  steady  girl,  or  you  would  never  have 
picked  her  out. ' ' 

^^She  is  all  of  that,''  said  Gisli. 

*^Then  she  is  unlike  her  brother  Vestan,'' 
Thorkel  said.  '^I  will  answer  for  it  that  he 
has  sat  in  many  a  lady's  bower." 

Thorkel  admired  Vestan  for  his  good  looks 
and  readiness  in  talk.  Then  he  came  back  to  his 
first  intention. 

*^I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  all  live 
together  very  simply.  The  house  is  plenty 
large  enough,  and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  Thor- 
dis will  stay  in  it  very  long.  Our  wives  will 
get  on  well  enough  if  we  do;  and  I  am  not  a 
quarrelsome  man  by  any  means.    Nor  are  you. ' ' 

Gisli  said,  **  Certainly  not.      But  if  Thordis 


PAETNEESHIP  65 

marries  she  must  have  her  dower,  and  that 
would  be  her  share  of  the  land,  or  the  house  it- 
self.'' 

**Time  enough  when  she  marries,"  said  Thor- 
kel.  Thordis,  for  her  part,  wished  to  be  mar- 
ried; but  she  was  very  particular  about  man- 
kind, and  by  no  means  for  anybody's  asking. 
She  was  a  slashing,  high-stepping  girl,  very 
proud  and  free  in  her  ways. 

Thorkel  at  any  rate  lost  no  time  about  his 
affair,  but  went  off  immediately  to  Talknafirth 
and  had  his  interview  with  Seal-knop.  He  had 
already  come  to  an  understanding  with  his 
Asgerd,  and  was  very  much  in  love  with  her. 
She  was  a  fair  girl  with  a  beautiful  skin  and 
shapely  body,  a  girl  who  seemed  very  simple, 
but  had  had  much  experience.  She  would  have 
been  married  long  before  but  for  that.  She 
was  known  in  the  neighbourhood  for  a  girl  of 
many  love-affairs,  and  while  men  will  amuse 
themselves  with  her  sort  they  think  twice  be- 
fore taking  them  home.  Thorkel  knew  nothing 
of  all  that,  and  it  was  nobody's  business  to  tell 
him.     She  charmed  his  eyes  and  beguiled  his 


e6  THE  OUTLAW 

other  senses.  People  said  that  she  could  do 
what  she  liked  with  him — ^but  that  was  because 
they  only  knew  her,  while  they  guessed  at  him. 
Thorkel  was  very  idle  and  very  easy  to  deal 
with ;  yet  Gisli  knew  that  there  was  more  in  him 
than  he  chose  to  display. 

After  the  wedding  at  Talknafirth,  Thorkel 
came  home  to  Seaboll  with  his  new  wife,  who 
made  herself  gracious  to  Gisli  and  Thordis,  and 
seemed  pleased  with  everything.  Then  it  was 
Gisli 's  turn  to  go  a-wooing,  and  as  his  habit 
was  he  said  very  little,  but  thought  very  much, 
about  it.  However,  Asgerd  made  him  say 
something.  She  knew  both  And  and  her 
brother  very  well,  it  seemed.  ^'Not,''  she  said, 
**that  any  one  would  believe  them  brother  and 
eister;  for  they  are  each  other's  opposites. 
Vestan  is  merry  and  Aud  sad;  he  talks  all  day, 
and  she  says  nothing.  He  is  as  black  as  night, 
and  she  is  fair-skinned.  To  be  sure,  her  hair 
is  brown;  but  she  has  grey  eyes,  and  his  are 
coal-black. ' ' 

*^I  don't  think  Aud  is  sad,''  Gisli  said.  He 
was  afflicted  by  all  this  chatter. 


PAETNERSHIP  67 

'*If  she  is  not  sad  it  is  because  you  have  made 
her  happy,"  said  Asgerd.  **But  you  will  allow 
fihe  has  not  the  good  spirits  of  Vestan.  Vestan, 
I  can  tell  you,  has  broken  hearts  in  his  time.'' 

**Not  yours  at  least,''  Thorkel  said,  who  had 
been  lying  on  the  hearth,  listening.  Asgerd 
blushed  and  smiled  at  him. 

^^No,  indeed.  That  is  left  for  you  to  do," 
she  told  him.    He  was  pleased. 

As  soon  as  might  be — which  was  when  the 
passes  were  open — ^Gisli  set  off  for  Hest.  And 
heard  him  out,  and  gave  him  her  hand  at  once, 
with  hardly  a  word  spoken,  but  a  clear  Yes. 
Gisli  praised  Heaven  for  such  a  way  of  dealing, 
exactly  what  he  would  have  expected  of  her. 
From  that  moment  forth  there  was  never  a 
cloud  upon  their  perfect  understanding.  No 
two  people  ever  said  less  or  made  more  out  of 
unspoken  intercourse  than  those  two,  Gisli  and 
Aud.  It  was  as  if  they  conversed  by  other 
faculties,  by  touch,  for  instance,  or  neighbour- 
hood. And  each  knew  what  the  other  was 
thinking  by  divination,  and  was  never  wrong. 
^*If  I  had  travelled  the  world,  from  Garth  to 


68      ^  THE  OUTLAW 

Ireland/^  Gisli  said  to  Vestan,  **if  I  had  done 
all  you  have  done  twice  over,  I  had  never  found 
a  woman  so  exactly  to  my  need  as  I  have  found 
here.  * '  Vestan  said,  * '  I  knew  what  was  coming 
when  I  saw  you  first.  She  will  never  fail  you 
— that  I  promise.'* 

When  he  brought  Aud  to  Seaboll,  Vestan 
came  with  her,  and  stayed  some  days.  Every- 
body at  Seaboll  liked  him,  including  Thordis, 
who  was  hard  to  satisfy  in  the  matter  of  men. 
When  one  took  pains  to  please  her  she  said  that 
she  hated  to  have  a  man  always  dragging  at 
her  skirt;  if  he  paid  her  little  attention  she  said 
that  he  treated  her  as  if  she  were  a  sheep  or 
a  cow.  But  Vestan  treated  men  and  women 
exactly  the  same,  and  seemed  to  think  that  what 
was  interesting  to  one  sex  would  interest  the 
other.  He  had  a  charming  smile,  and  ready, 
laughing  eyes.  You  could  see  in  very  few 
minutes  how  fond  brother  and  sister  were  of 
•one  another,  and  also  how  both  had  opened  their 
hearts  to  let  Gisli  in.  As  for  Gisli  himself,  that 
odd,  shy,  retired  fellow  had  never  been  so  happy 


PAETNEESHIP  69 

in  Ms  life.  He  had  never  been  able  to  express 
himself — ^and  here  were  two  who  understood 
him  before  he  tried  to  speak.  He  had  always 
been  at  work,  with  folk  about  him  who  ac- 
cepted the  fruits  of  his  work  without  interest 
in  how  it  was  obtained.  Now  here  was  Aud, 
to  the  full  as  busy  as  he,  and  as  much  con- 
cerned as  he  was  in  what  was  done,  doing  or 
to  do — a  woman  to  whom  it  was  never  needful 
to  explain  yourself,  and  better  still,  a  woman 
who  did  not  take  it  amiss  that  you  should  take 
her  love  for  granted.  Of  her  passion  in  love 
none  could  know  but  Gisli.  To  the  rest  of  the 
world  the  pair  of  them  showed  as  friends  and 
partners  in  life  rather  than  lovers.  But  Gisli 
knew  better — and  of  course  Vestan,  knowing 
his  sister,  divined  the  rest.  Of  those  two, 
Vestan  and  Aud,  the  brother  was  at  the  moment 
the  popular  one  at  Seaboll.  Thordis  approved 
of  him,  and  Thorkel  admired  him. 

Thorkel  admired  Vestan  for  his  good  looks, 
good  clothes  and  fine  heedless  way  of  dealing 
with  the  affairs  of  this  world.  That  was 
how  he  had  always  pictured  himself  behaving; 


70  THE  OUTLAW 

but  he  knew  in  his  inmost  heart  that  Vestan 
was  the  better  man.  Vestan  was  a  sailor  who 
had  travelled  far  and  wide,  seen  much  of  men, 
and  measured  his  strength  with  them.  Thorkel 
had  never  done  anything  except  marry  a  very 
pretty  woman.  He  was  tender  on  her  account, 
■and  believed  that  he  had  really  lost  his  heart 
to  her.  That  interested  him  because,  so  far 
as  he  knew,  he  had  never  before  cared  for  any- 
body but  himself.  *  *  It  is  refreshing  to  feel  that 
you  have  given  away  your  heart  into  the  keep- 
ing of  another  person,'^  he  thought.  *'I  love 
my  wife  and  would  deny  her  nothing.  No  man 
is  worth  a  rush  who  cannot  say  that.  But  I 
can  say  it  with  sincerity,  and  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life.''  He  watched  her  way  of  dealing 
with  the  others  in  the  house.  She  was  rather 
careful  with  Thordis,  who  was  apt  to  trample 
without  knowing  that  she  did  it.  With  Aud 
she  was  much  easier.  She  had  a  great  deal 
to  say  to  Aud,  used  to  whisper  and  laugh  with 
her  while  she  was  busy  with  sewing,  or  in  the 
kitchen  at  her  housework.  He  wondered  what 
on  earth  she  had  to  say  which  involved  so  much 


PARTNERSHIP  71 

lowering  of  the  voice,  and  was  dappled  with  so 
many  bursts  of  laughter.  Aud  used  to  listen, 
and  look  steadily  at  the  work  she  was  doing. 
He  heard  her  murmured  Yes  and  No,  or  some 
measured  comment  now  and  again;  but  cer- 
tainly the  talking  was  done  by  Asgerd.  He 
thought  she  was  shy  in  the  company  of  men. 
She  rarely  spoke  to  Vestan  unless  he  hap- 
pened to  catch  her  eye  when  he  was  ending  some 
tale  of  the  sea.  He  used  to  ask  her  sometimes 
when  they  were  in  bed  what  she  thought  of 
Vestan,  but  she  would  hide  her  face  in  his 
shoulder  and  cling  to  him;  and  he  laughed, 
and  said,  **You  will  make  me  jealous  one  of 
these  days.'^  Then,  *^0h,  no,  no,  no,''  she  used 
to  say,  and  kiss  him  eagerly.  All  that  made 
Thorkel  as  happy  as  a  child  with  a  kitten. 

But  Vestan  was  away  at  the  end  of  a  week, 
and  the  partners  at  Seaboll  settled  down  to 
the  business  of  their  estate.  They  had  a  good 
deal  of  land  altogether,  running  up  Hawkdale 
on  both  sides  of  the  river  for  the  better  part 
of  a  mile.  They  had  grassland  and  cornland, 
a  good  head  of  cattle,  and  some  five  hundred 


72  THE  OUTLAW 

sheep  on  the  hills.  There  was  work  for  fif- 
teen hands,  and  Gisli  was  with  them  from  morn- 
ing till  night.  The  greater  part  of  the  house- 
hold work  fell  to  And,  for  much  the  same  rea- 
son as  the  outdoor  work  was  all  Gisli 's — ^be- 
cause she  liked  to  be  busy.  Thordis  took  her 
share;  but  Asgerd  did  very  little  except  sew- 
ing, and  that  her  own  and  her  husband's. 


vn 

codbiter's  son 

THE  next  thing  important  to  the  bearing 
of  this  tale  was  the  marriage  of  Thordis, 
which  came  about  in  this  way.  The  household 
at  Seaboll,  well  established  by  marriage  already, 
and  prosperous  under  Gisli^s  management,  was 
fitted  to  take  part  in  public  affairs,  such  as  they 
were;  and  Thorkel  for  his  part  could  not  be 
satisfied  until  they  made  some  kind  of  a  show. 
There  were  two  Things  commonly  held  in  their 
country;  one  in  Dyrafirth  itself,  and  one  at 
Thorsness,  which  was  south  of  them  on  Broad- 
firth,  and  that  one  was  the  greatest  of  all  held 
in  the  west  parts.  So  one  Spring  Gisli  and 
Thorkel,  with  a  goodly  company,  went  down 
to  Thorsness,  and  received  the  hospitality  of  the 
great  man  of  the  place,  Thorstan  Codbiter.  In 
his  family,  and  especially  with  his  two  sons, 
Thorgrim  and  Bork,  they  struck  up  a  friend- 

73 


74  THE  OUTLAW 

ship,  and  before  they  went  home  it  was  a  set- 
tled thing  that  the  Codbiter^s  sons  should  come 
np  to  Valsere  Thing  on  Dyrafirth  and  stay  at 
Seaboll.  That  led  to  the  marriage  of  Thordis, 
whose  good  looks  and  bold  bearing  hit  Codbit- 
er's  son  Thorgrim  between  the  eyes,  as  it  were, 
and  left  him  no  peace.  Before  he  went  he  asked 
Thorkel  for  her  and  the  match  was  agreed  upon. 
Thordis,  who  felt  uncomfortable  at  home,  made 
no  objection  to  Thorgrim — and  indeed  he  was 
a  fine,  incisive,  upstanding  man,  broad-shoul- 
dered, black-bearded,  red-faced  and  black-eyed. 
He  had  been  married  once  already  and  had  two 
Bons  nearly  come  to  manhood ;  he  was  Priest  of 
Frey  at  Thorsness,  an  important  and  note- 
worthy man.  His  brother  Bork  was  very  much 
like  him,  but  younger,  fatter  and  less  of  a  great 
man. 

The  wedding  was  pushed  through  almost  at 
once;  for  Thorgrim  was  in  a  hurry.  Next  it 
was  settled  that  Seaboll  should  be  given  up  to 
the  couple  for  Thordis'  portion,  and  the 
brothers  build  themselves  a  house  upon  their 
share  of  the  estate  higher  up  the  dale.    They 


COBBITER'S  SON  75 

found  a  good  site  at  Holl  and  set  to  work — ^ 
that  is,  Gisli  set  to  work — housebuilding  at  once. 
When  he  had  finished,  the  two  estates  inarched 
with  each  other,  the  two  houses  were  less  than 
a  mile  apart,  and  Thordis  began  to  enjoy  her- 
self. Her  stepsons  did  not  live  with  her,  but 
remained  with  Bork  at  Thorsness,  where  in  due 
course  the  Codbiter,  at  the  end  of  his  fishing, 
died  and  was  buried. 

When  all  these  things  were  done,  the  rift 
which  there  had  always  been  in  Gisli 's  family 
declared  itself.  They  saw  very  little  of  Thor- 
dis at  Holl,  though  Thorgrim  her  husband  was 
very  often  there.  In  fact  it  was  Thorgrim  who 
egged  his  brothers-in-law  on  to  make  much  more 
of  an  appearance  abroad  than  Gisli,  for  his 
part,  cared  about.  Thorkel,  a  vain  man,  took 
kindly  to  it,  which  made  it  difficult  for  Gisli 
to  avoid  his  part.  Hence  began  attendances  in 
force  at  the  Thing,  and  a  great  show  of  men 
in  steel  caps,  carrying  spears.  Taken  together 
and  with  Vestan  and  his  men  added  to  them, 
they  made  some  forty  spears. 

The  fast  friendship  between  Vestan  and  Gisli 


76  THE  OUTLAW 

brought  the  handsome  sailor  over  to  HoU  when- 
ever he  was  at  home.  He  was  not  so  welcome 
at  Seaboll,  where  Thordis  had  the  ordering 
of  affairs.  Thorgrim  always  seemed  very- 
friendly  and  glad  to  see  him,  and  Thorkel  ad- 
mired him;  but  it  was  Gisli  who  really  loved 
him,  and  if  Gisli  had  been  away  he  had  never 
come  into  Hawkdale  at  all.  This  was  put  to 
the  proof  one  day  after  the  whole  band  of  them 
had  been  over  at  the  Thorness  Thing  and 
dominated  the  assembly  by  their  bold  bearing 
and  readiness  for  offence.  Eiding  home  to- 
gether, Thorgrim,  who  was  very  much  elated 
by  the  way  things  had  turned  out,  proposed 
a  bond  of  brotherhood  which  he  said  would 
serve  to  keep  them  up  to  their  present  high 
level.  Gisli  was  quite  willing,  he  said,  though 
he  did  not  believe  in  such  ceremonies.  ^*If  we 
love  each  other,  it  follows  that  we  trust  each 
other,'*  he  said.  **If  we  trust  each  other,  it 
follows  that  we  can  count  upon  each  other's 
support.  I  doubt  if  an  oath  will  better  the 
belief — ^but  don't  suppose  that  I  will  draw  back 
from  it."    Thorkel  was  all  for  the  oath,  and 


CODBITER'S  SON  77 

Vestan  said  he  would  do  what  the  others  did. 

There  they  left  it ;  but  when  they  were  home 
again  it  was  Gisli  who  took  the  lead;  and  he 
was  moved  to  do  it  by  a  saying  of  Guest  the 
Wise  which  had  been  repeated  to  him,  to  the 
effect  that  the  Hawkdale  men  would  not  always 
be  of  the  same  mind  in  everything  as  they  were 
now.  It  had  always  been  a  secret  fear  of  Gisli 's 
that  strife  might  break  out  again  as  it  had  be- 
fore in  Norway.  He  had  not  breathed  a  word 
of  that  fear  even  to  Aud,  still  less  to  Vestan, 
but  it  haunted  him. 

So  when  they  were  in  sight  of  HoU  he  reined 
up  on  a  good  stretch  of  turf  and  said,  *^Now 
let  us  carry  out  what  we  intended.  Here  is 
good  turf  to  lift.''  They  cut  a  long  strip  of 
turf  and  freed  it  from  the  ground  the  length 
of  it,  leaving  the  two  ends  fast.  This  turf  they 
lifted  upon  a  spear  until  a  man  could  pass  easily 
below  it,  as  under  a  yoke.  All  four  of  them 
stood  round  about,  and  were  to  open  a  vein 
each  that  his  blood  might  mingle  with  the 
ground  below  the  turf -yoke.  Gisli  was  the  first 
to  do  it.    He  slashed  at  his  bare  arm  and  let 


78  THE  OUTLAW 

the  blood  drip  to  the  ground.  Vestan  followed 
him;  and  then  it  was  Thorgrim's  turn.  He  had 
a  knife  in  his  hand,  his  other  arm  bared  and 
stretched  out;  but  suddenly  he  shook  his  rolled 
sleeve  down  and  covered  his  skin.  Gisli  looked 
sharply  at  him. 

*^No/'  said  Thorgrim,  ^*I  won^t  do  iV 

Vestan  was  still  smiling,  but  the  smile  was 
stretched  and  bleak. 

Gisli  said,  **What  is  this?  You  will  not, 
when  it  was  you  who  proposed  it?'* 

Thorgrim  held  to  it.  *^It  is  going  too  far. 
I  am  ready  to  uphold  your  and  ThorkePs  af- 
fairs to  the  uttermost.  It  is  natural.  We  are 
akin,  and  kindreds  should  stick  together.  But 
Vestan  is  no  kindred  of  mine;  and  what  do  I 
know  of  his  relationships?  and  where  may  his 
affairs  land  me  at  lastf 

Gisli  said,  *'It  is  a  great  slight  on  my  brother- 
in-law  and  friend.  This  project  may  turn  out 
differently  from  your  intention.''  Vestan 
touched  his  shoulder. 

^*I  don't  think  a  slight  was  intended,  at  any 


CODBITER'S  SON  79 

rate, ' '  he  sadd.  *  *  Let  it  be  enough  that  you  and 
I  have  sworn  a  brotherhood. '* 

**We  had  one  without  the  bloodshedding," 
Gisli  said,  **but  now  it  is  a  sanctified  thing/' 
Thorgrim  had  turned  away.  It  is  odd  that  no- 
body had  asked  Thorkel  what  he  intended  to 
do. 

They  came  to  HoU  and  said  farewell  to  Thor- 
grim, who  said  he  should  go  on  to  Seaboll  with- 
out stay.  No  one  pressed  him  to  alight.  Noth- 
ing passed  between  Gisli  and  Vestan  so  long 
as  Thorkel  was  with  them ;  nothing  was  told  to 
Aud  by  either  of  them — but  Gisli  was  very  much 
troubled  in  mind,  slept  badly,  rose  up  early, 
and  was  at  work  at  his  forge  long  before  any 
one  else  was  stirring. 

When  Vestan  came  into  the  shed  where  he 
worked,  Gisli  looked  up.  His  eyes  smiled, 
though  the  rest  of  his  face  did  not. 

'^What  are  you  at  so  early T^  Vestan  said; 
and  Gisli,  **Come  and  see.'' 

He  showed  him  a  broad  silver  coin,  cut  neatly 
in  half.    Each  half  was  toothed,  in  such  a  way 


8Q  .THE  OUTLAW 

that  the  two  could  be  fitted  together  again,  and 
no  severance  visible. 

**Very  neat/'  Vestan  said,  **but  what  will 
you  do  with  itT' 

Gisli  gave  him  one  half  the  coin.  **Half  is 
yours,  half  mine,*'  he  told  him.  **When  those 
halves  are  joined  again  it  is  a  certainty  that 
trouble  is  afoot.  Let  us  agree  that  we  call  upon 
each  other  by  this  means,  but  only  when  life 
and  death  are  in  the  balance.  Do  you  agree 
to  that?'' 

Vestan  laughed.  *^0h,  yes.  But  you  are 
serious  about  it,  and  I  am  not,  though  I  am 
willing  to  become  so." 

G-isli  was  most  serious.  '*I  see  in  what  Thor- 
grim  did  yesterday  a  danger  to  our  happiness 
here,"  he  said.  ** Perhaps  it  is  a  folly  of  mine 
to  try  to  provide  against  fate;  but  it  is  very 
natural.  I  feel  that  one  or  other  of  us  two 
may  be  in  peril  in  time  to  come.  It  will  be  you, 
I  believe." 

Vestan  still  smiled  at  him,  but  very 
temperately.    **My    business    takes    me    into 


CODBITER'S  SON  81 

danger, ' '  lie  said.  *  *  You  know  that  I  must  soon 
be  at  sea  again.'' 

''Yes,''  said  Gisli,  '*!  know  that.  If  my  pre- 
monitions are  right,  you  will  be  safer  there  than 
in  Hawkdale.  Be  that  as  it  may,  keep  my  half- 
coin  by  you,  and  let  me  not  see  it  again  until 
you  wish  to  warn  me  of  my  life.  So  it  shall  be 
with  that  which  I  hold  now."  At  that  moment 
Aud  stood  in  the  doorway,  and  both  men  looked 
at  her. 

''I  came  to  tell  you  that  your  breakfast  was 
ready,"  she  said.  ''But  what  are  you  two 
about  so  early?"  G<isli  enquired  of  Vestan 
with  his  eyes,  "Shall  we  tell  her  I"  Vestan 
answered  him  in  words,  "When  I  am  gone." 

Aud  came  to  where  they  stood  by  the  forge 
and  put  a  hand  upon  either  man's  shoulder. 
They  were  the  two  persons  she  loved  best  in 
the  world.  ' '  What  are  you  talking  about  1  Am 
I  not  to  be  told?" 

"You  are  to  be  told  everything,"  Gisli  said, 
"and  you  shall  hear  all  about  it— but  not  now. 
Let  us  go  in." 


88  THE  OUTLAW 

They  went  into  the  hall  together.  And  had 
taken  Gisli's  arm;  but  her  other  hand  was  held 
in  Vestan's. 

In  the  hall  was  Asgerd,  with  sharp  eyes. 
Thorkel  was  still  in  bed. 


VIII 

OVERHEARD 

THE  time  was  June,  with  Vestan  three 
months  at  sea,  when  Thorkel,  the  idle 
man,  was  to  be  jarred  to  the  very  heart  of 
him.  Out  of  the  sweetest  day  of  summer  was 
to  blow  upon  him  a  chill  blast  of  air  to  freeze 
his  blood;  and  out  of  the  softest  lips  in  the 
world  shoot,  as  you  might  say,  the  barb  to  pierce 
him. 

He  had  had  his  breakfast  late  and  alone; 
for  Gisli  had  gone  out  with  the  first  ray  of 
the  sun,  and  had  out  all  hands  to  the  haymak- 
ing. It  was  a  summer  ^s  day,  with  a  gay  wind 
blowing  up  the  dale  from  the  firth.  He  had 
seen  on  the  upland  levels  how  the  brake-fern 
was  swept  white  by  it.  The  hay  was  all  cut 
and  lying,  and  now  was  the  time  to  make  it. 
So  Grisli  was  abroad,  and  not  a  man  but  Thorkel 
left  upon  the  place. 

83 


84  THE  OUTLAW 

And  the  women  too  had  done  their  house- 
work and  were  in  the  bower  at  their  sewing. 
Thorkel,  stretching  himself  at  ease  in  the  sun 
at  the  door,  heard  the  murmur  of  their  voices 
— Asgerd's  sharp  and  clear,  with  a  hint  of  com- 
plaining in  it,  as  if  a  string  in  her  harp  was 
a  little  worn;  and  then  Aud's  lower  and  fuller 
but  less  audible,  a  voice  of  contentment,  a 
rich,  soothful  voice.  Thorkel  laughed  as  he 
stretched  himself.  **How  they  chatter,  the 
women — and  all  about  nothing!**  He  thought 
it  would  amuse  him  to  go  round  and  overhear 
them :  he  had  nothing  to  do,  and  the  seat  below 
the  bower  was  full  South. 

Soft-foot,  chuckling  to  himself,  he  reached 
the  bench  and  stretched  himself  at  length  upon 
it.  For  a  while  the  two  women  worked  in 
silence;  then  Asgerd  broke  that  by  saying, 
**How  quiet  you  are.  I  suppose  you  and  Gisli 
never  talk  when  you  are  abed  together.** 

**What  we  do,**  said  Aud,  ^4s  between  us.'* 

**I  warrant  it  is,**  said  Asgerd,  **and  with  all 
my  heart.**    And  then  she  sighed. 

Presently  she  broke  out  again,  with  com- 


OVERHEARD  85 

plaint  in  her  voice.  **My  dear,  here's  a  thing 
you  will  do  better  than  I. ' ' 

'*What  is  thatr'  And  asked  her. 

*^Why,  to  cut  out  a  shirt  for  me.  I  have  no 
hand  today — and  not  much  any  day,  woe's  me." 

**Thorkel's  shirt,  I  suppose?"  said  Aud. 

*  *  Of  course.    Whose  else  1 ' '    Thorkel  smiled. 
Silence  for  a  minute,   and   then  Aud   said 

quietly,  **If  it  were  for  Vestan  you  would  not 
ask  me  to  do  it,  I  know." 

Thorkel 's  heart  stopped  beating;  but  he  did 
not  move. 

*  *  You  know  too  much,  my  dear, ' '  Asgerd  said ; 
and  Aud,  **I  wish  I  did  not  know  that." 

**It  can't  be  helped,"  said  Asgerd  recklessly; 
**  Vestan  stands  alone  for  me.  Since  first  I 
saw  him,  long  before  I  knew  Thorkel,  there  was 
only  one  man  in  the  world.  You  must  have 
known  that,  surely." 

**Yes,  I  knew  it,"  Aud  said,  ^*but  we  need  not 
talk  about  it." 

*  *  Why  should  we  not  f  What  harm  can  it  do  ! 
Vestan  will  never  know — and  if  he  should, — 
Oh,  I  would  trust  him  with  all  I  have!" 


86  THE  OUTLAW 

**Why  should  we  talk  of  what  can  never  beT' 
said  And. 

**It  is  good  for  me  to  talk  sometimes,  God 
knows/'  Asgerd  replied.  **If  women  cannot 
tell  each  other  their  secrets,  it  is  all  wretched- 
ness and  wrong.  But  I  have  done  no  harm  to 
any  one.  How  can  I  help  my  heart?  Or  you, 
for  that  matter?  Were  there  not  meetings 
between  Thorgrim  and  you  once  upon  a 
time?'' 

**Long  ago,"  sadd  Aud.  **But  since  I  was 
given  to  Grisli  I  never  looked  at  another  man 
twice." 

**0h,  yes,  I  know.  You  two  are  happy  to- 
gether. It  is  easy  seen.  And  if  I  had  had 
Vestan,  I  dare  swear " 

'*Say  no  more  of  Vestan,  I  beg  you,"  said 
Aud,  and  Asgerd  was  quiet. 

Thorkel  sat  up,  staring.  He  looked  old,  with 
pale,  haggard  eyes.  And  it  was  cold  out  there ; 
and  what  to  do  with  himself  he  didn't  know. 
He  left  the  bench  where  he  was  stuck,  and 
moved  off  on  tiptoe.  A  shadow  passed  over  the 
window-sill,  and  Aud  saw  it. 


OVERHEARD  87 

**S'ome  one  was  there.  Some  one  has  been 
listening/'  she  said.  Asgerd's  blue  eyes  flick- 
ered. 

' '  That  was  Thorkel.    What  shall  I  do  now  ? ' ' 

Aud's  eyes  were  quite  steady.  **You  must 
tell  him  about  it  tonight.  Tell  him  all  of  it. 
It  is  the  only  plan.''  But  it  did  not  convince 
Asgerd. 

**No,  it  will  be  better  to  make  little  of  it. 
I  will  make  it  a  joke  between  us  two.  Then 
if  he  seem  still  vexed  I  will  coax  him  till  he 
loves  me.  I  can  do  that  if  I  will.  But  maybe 
your  way  is  wiser." 

**It  is  wiser  for  me  at  least,"  said  Aud.  **I 
shall  tell  Gisli  everything,  and  follow  his  coun- 
sel in  everything. ' ' 

The  day  passed  heavily  for  the  two  girls. 
Thorkel  did  not  come  in  till  dusk,  and  how 
he  had  spent  the  day  nobody  knew,  himself 
least  of  any.  His  contentment  in  his  idle  life 
was  gone,  and  he  honestly  grieved  over  that. 
He  had  not  yet  discovered  that  his  self-esteem 
was  mortally  wounded,  for,  vain  man  as  he  was, 
he  was  also  an  affectionate  and  kindly  man. 


88  THE  OUTLAW 

The  longer  lie  stayed  out,  however,  the  more 
difficult  it  became  to  go  back. 

Gisli  at  once  saw  that  something  was  wrong 
with  his  brother.  He  ate  scarcely  anything, 
drank  like  a  fish,  and  sat  with  his  elbows  on 
the  board,  staring  at  nothing.  He  thought,  too, 
that  Aud  looked  anxious.  Asgerd  chattered 
and  laughed  all  suppertime,  and  even  rallied 
Thorkel,  who  scowled  at  her  but  did  not  answer. 
When  supper  was  over  Thorkel  went  to  the 
door  and  leaned  there,  looking  out  on  the 
mountain.  Gisli  followed  him  and  put  his  hand 
on  his  shoulder. 
**What  is  wrong  r'  he  asked  him. 
**Nothingatall.'' 

*  *  Don  H  tell  me  that.    Are  you  ill  r ' 
Thorkel  was  tragic.    **I  am  worse  than  ill.'* 
**Is  it  my  fault?    Have  I  done  anything  to 
offend  your' 

* '  Nothing  at  all.    How  could  that  be  T ' 
**I  don't  know.    I  cannot  convict  myself  of 
anything.    If  I  could  I  would  amend  it.    I  set 
great  store  by  your  affection.'' 


OVEEHEARD  89 

'*Why  should  you?''  said  Thorkel.  **What 
do  I  do  to  deserve  itT' 

** These  things  don't  run  in  that  way,"  said 
Gisli.  **They  run  in  the  veins.  But  I  hope 
you  will  tell  me  what  troubles  you." 

Thorkel  would  not,  or  could  not.  ^*You  will 
know  it  all  soon.    I  cannot  tell  you  now. ' ' 

Thereupon  he  turned  back  into  the  house  and 
went  to  bed  without  any  words  with  anybody 
else.  Asgerd  waited  until  he  was  in  bed,  and 
then,  after  a  look  at  Aud,  went  softly  away  to 
him.  Once  alone  with  him,  she  knew  best  how 
to  deal  with  him.  He  heard  her  soft  words, 
felt  her  soft  arms  about  him,  and  because  he 
loved  her  very  much  took  her  to  his  heart  and 
let  her  sleep  there.  He  himself  did  not  sleep 
for  a  long  time ;  but  she  slept  sound.  He  told 
himself  that  so  gentle  a  bosom  could  not  harbour 
his  injury;  but  the  injury  done  him  lay  else- 
where. All  his  resentment  burned  in  him  still 
— ^and  the  fire  of  it  showed  him  always  the  laugh- 
ing eyes  and  white  teeth  of  Vestan.  That  is 
the  way  such  things  mostly  turn  in  the  world, 
where  man  will  always  measure  himself  against 


90  THE  OUTLAW 

man.  Thorkel  was  vain,  and  therefore  diffident. 
He  grudged  Vestan  his  good  looks  and  light 
heart,  and  hated  him  for  them  because  he  felt 
that  he  had  had  both  himself  if  Vestan  had  not 
robbed  him. 

As  for  Aud  and  Gisli,  their  eyes  met,  and 
that  was  enough.  She  told  him  everything,  and 
blamed  herself  for  having  brought  it  about. 
** Don't  be  angry  with  me,''  she  said,  **and 
think  how  you  can  help  Vestan,  for  I  know  it 
will  all  be  laid  up  against  him." 

Gisli  said  shortly,  ''I  think  it  will.  Thorkel 
will  take  this  hard. ' ' 

'^What  shall  we  do?" 

*' There  is  nothing  to  do,"  he  said.  '*What 
is  to  be  must  be. ' ' 

**Do  you  blame  me!" 

'*No,  not  at  all.  Fate  must  have  its  way. 
You  and  I  are  tools  in  its  hand.  As  well  might 
I  blame  myself  for  having  brought  Vestan 
hither,  or  for  having  chosen  you.  Now  I  fore- 
see that  the  end  of  this  is  not  to  be  in  our  hands. 
We  could  deal  with  Thorkel,  I  believe.  But 
Thorkel  doesn't  stand  alone.    Now  let  us  go  to 


OVERHEARD  91 

sleep,  for  I  am  tired  and  you  are  troubled.'' 

Aud  clung  to  Mm.  *^If  you  have  no  blame 
for  me  I  have  no  need  to  be  troubled.'' 

**I  shall  never  have  blame  in  my  heart  for 
you,"  said  Gisli.     Then  they  slept. 

That  which  Gisli  had  foreseen,  but  said  noth- 
ing about,  came  to  pass.  Thorkel  took  his 
griefs  over  to  SeaboU  and  possessed  Thorgrim 
and  Thordis  of  them.  It  then  came  out  that 
Thordis  hated  Vestan,  and  did  not  like  Aud. 
Her  blue  eyes  glittered. 

**You  have  to  quit  Holl,  that  is  plain,"  she 
said.  **You  had  better  bring  Asgerd  here. 
She  will  be  looked  after  here." 

Thorkel  thought  she  was  right,  but  said, 
*  *  Gisli  will  be  troubled. ' ' 

**It  is  Gisli,"  said  Thordis,  *^who  brought  the 
trouble  about.    He  cannot  have  it  all  ways." 

^*  Gisli  would  rather  have  his  brother-in-law 
than  his  brother  at  Holl,  I  believe,"  Thorgrim 
said.  **You  must  do  what  is  proper  in  your 
own  eyes.  One  thing  only  you  may  be  sure  of. 
Vestan  won't  come  here  after  Asgerd."  All 
three  of  them  assumed  that  the  pursuit  had 


92  THE  OUTLAW 

been  his  doing.    As  for  Thorkel  himself,  he 
fully  believed  it. 

The  end  of  such  talk — and  there  was  a  deal 
of  it,  the  subject  endlessly  brooded  on  by  Thor- 
kel, and  ruthlesly  handled  by  Thorgrim  and 
Thordis — the  end  was  that  at  the  fall  of  the 
year  Thorkel  told  Gisli  that  they  must  part. 
Gisli  had  been  prepared  for  it,  but  disliked  it 
so  much  that  he  pleaded  with  his  brother. 
**Let  your  discomforts  be  forgotten,"  he  said. 
**Be  sure  that  you  will  get  no  greater  love  from 
any  than  you  do  from  us.  I  ask  you  to  stay 
here.'' 

**No,  no,"  said  Thorkel,  '*it  can't  be.  I  can- 
not meet  Vestan  here,  nor  ask  you  to  keep  him 
away."    Gisli  was  astonished. 

**Is  it  possible  that  you  still  believe  Vestan 
thinks  of  Asgerd?  I  can't  suppose  it.  But  as 
I  know  much  more  about  him  than  you  do,  I 
can  assure  you  that  he  has  never  had  a  thought 
of  her  in  his  life. ' ' 

**It  may  be  so,  it  may  be  so,"  said  Thorkel, 
irritated  that  he  could  not  contradict  him. 
**But  I  must  think  for  Asgerd  first — and,  in 


OVEEHEAED  93 

fine,  they  wish  for  me  at  SeaboU,  so  we  must 
go  there.'' 

It  was  then  settled  between  them  that  the 
land  and  goods  should  be  divided  in  this  way — 
the  land  to  Gisli,  the  goods  to  Thorkel.  Every- 
thing that  was  not  Gisli 's  own  or  Aud's  own 
property,  fell  therefore  to  leave  Holl ;  and  there 
was  such  a  routing  out  of  coffers  as  had  not 
happened  for  many  a  day.  In  turning  over  the 
gear,  it  was  Thorkel  who  brought  to  light  the 
pieces  of  the  great  sword  Grayflanks,  which  had 
been  brought  over  to  Iceland  by  Thorbiorn  Sour 
himself.  Gisli  knew  them  again,  but  Thorkel 
did  not;  but  now  Thorkel  handled  them  with 
curiosity. 

**What  steel  —  hey?  Whose  was  this 
sword  f  So  Gisli  told  him  the  tale,  and  Thor- 
kel heard  him  out ;  and  then  put  the  two  pieces 
among  the  goods  which  fell  to  him. 

**Do  you  take  that  away  with  you?*'  Gisli 
asked,  and  Thorkel,  who  was  busy  with  other 
wares,  just  gave  a  glance  at  the  old  sword,  as 
he  said,  **It  was  our  father's,  you  say?  Yes,  I 
take  that." 


94  THE  OUTLAW 

There  were  two  children  in  the  honse  at  Holl, 
a  brother  and  sister,  children  of  a  kinsman. 
Geirmund  was  the  boy,  Gudrid  the  girl;  they 
also  were  to  be  shared.  Thorkel,  having  first 
choice,  said  he  would  have  the  boy.  So  Gudrid 
fell  to  Gisli,  and  seemed  glad  of  it.  Directly 
Thorkel  had  said,  ^^Then  I  will  have  Geir- 
mund,'' Gudrid,  without  a  word  said,  put  her 
hand  in  Gisli 's.  He,  looking  down,  smiled  at 
her  in  the  midst  of  his  trouble. 

And  so  he  saw  Thorkel  go  with  a  heavy  hea:  t, 
for  he  loved  his  brother  and  was  neither  able 
to  say  so  nor  to  declare  it  in  any  other  way  than 
by  working  for  him  all  day  and  every  day  with- 
out looking  for  thanks  or  payment. 


IX 

FORGING   OF   THE   SPEAR 

BEFOEE  the  winter  closed  in  upon  Hawk- 
dale  it  had  fallen  out  as  Gisli  had  fore- 
seen, that  there  was  a  rift  between  the  two 
houses  of  Holl  and  Seaboll.  Although  in  most 
outward  things  the  three  kinsmen  met  each 
other,  yet  it  was  a  matter  of  common  observa- 
tion that  Thordis  never,  and  Thorgrim  very 
seldom,  crosed  the  threshold  at  Holl.  Thorkel 
and  Asgerd  came  sometimes,  and  sometimes  one 
of  them  without  the  other;  but  Aud,  who  was 
as  proud  as  fire,  would  never  go  to  Seaboll  so 
long  as  Thordis  kept  away  from  Holl;  and 
Gisli,  who  was  not  proud  at  all,  saw  that  she 
had  reason. 

**I  believe  now,''  he  said  to  her  one  day, 
**that  Thordis  has  never  loved  me,  but  if  you 
were  to  ask  me  why,  I  could  not  for  the  life 
of  me  tell  you.''  Aud,  who  was  sewing,  said 
quietly,  *^Then  maybe  I  can  tell  you  J* 

95 


96  THE  OUTLAW 

**  Women  can  see  further  into  the  heart  than 
men,''  said  Gisli.  *^I  wish  you  would  tell 
me." 

'^Well,  I  can  only  tell  you  what  you  have 
told  me  yourself.  Did  you  not  slay  a  man  who 
beguiled  her?" 

Gisli  started.  ^^Kolbiorn?  Yes,  I  did.  My 
father  gave  me  no  peace  until  that  was  done. 
But  you  are  wrong.  Thordis  had  no  love  for 
Kolbiom." 

*'No,"  said  Aud,  *'that  is  likely.  But  she 
had  great  love  for  Thordis.  I  am  sure  that  she 
resented  your  meddling  in  her  affairs." 

Gisli  believed  her.  He  sighed.  *' There  is 
no  escape  from  an  ill  deed.  And  yet  that  deed 
was  not  so  ill  neither.  Kolbiom  was  dis- 
honouring my  sister.  His  slaying  should  have 
been  done  by  Thorkel,  who  is  the  elder  of  us 
— ^but  our  father  never  so  much  as  asked  him 
to  do  it.  He  never  asked  Thorkel  to  do  any- 
thing." 

Aud  looked  at  him  with  grave  tenderness. 
*^  You  work  for  everybody ;  you  bear  all  people's 
burdens,  and  few  thank  you  for  what  you  do. 


FORGING  OF  THE  SPEAR  97 

But  every  morning  and  every  night  I  am  thank- 
ful for  your  love. ' ' 

Gisli  was  moved  by  her  good  words.  *^My 
dear/*  he  said,  *'no  man  should  ask  more  of 
life  than  the  love  of  you  and  Vestan.  Yet  I 
am  so  made  that  I  love  my  own  kindred  for  no 
better  reason  than  that  we  have  the  same 
parents.'* 

She  loved  him  for  the  thought,  yet  found 
the  prudence  in  her  heart  to  disapprove  it. 
**Dear  friend,'*  she  said,  *4t  is  to  your  detri- 
ment that  in  loving  the  children  of  your  parents 
you  don't  love  yourself  a  little  more." 

*.*0h,  myself!"  he  laughed  at  her.  ^*I  have 
never  been  taught  to  do  that.  All  my  life  I 
have  been  taken  as  a  matter  of  course.  Is  any- 
thing wrong?  Gisli  will  mend  it.  What  is  he 
here  for  but  that !  And  it  is  a  fact  that  I  don 't 
love  myself  at  all."  She  made  a  movement 
towards  him;  he  saw  love  in  her  eyes.  He 
moved  over  to  her  side,  embraced  and  kissed 
her.    Aud  returned  his  kiss  with  passion. 

**Love  yourself  for  my  sake,"  she  said 
brokenly,  **for  I  have  no  one  but  you.    If  I 


98  THE  OUTLAW 

cannot  give  you  a  child,  be  you  my  child,  Gisli.  * ' 
It  was  true  that  they  had  no  child ;  and  a  great 
grief  that  was. 

That  winter  Gisli  had  a  feast  at  Holl,  as  the 
custom  was,  and  when  it  came  to  asking  people 
to  come,  it  turned  out,  as  he  had  expected,  that 
Seaboll  was  to  have  one  at  the  same  time.  That 
was  a  new  thing  and  did  not  help  to  smooth  over 
differences,  except  that  it  gave  an  excuse  to 
Thorkel  for  not  coming  to  Gisli 's  merrymaking. 
The  worst  work  it  did  was  to  split  up  the  dale 
into  two  parties.  However,  Gisli  went  to  work 
at  it  with  his  accustomed  spirit,  and  there  was 
every  chance  of  its  turning  out  well.  Aud's 
kindred  and  friends  alone  would  have  made  a 
large  assembly.  The  house  was  to  be  full  to 
overflowing — and  what  more  could  you  want! 

At  Seaboll  also  there  was  to  be  a  great 
gathering.  All  Thorgrim's  kindred  were  to  be 
there,  and  many  others  from  Thorsness  and 
those  parts  where  Oodbiter  his  father  had  lived 
and  fished  and  been   a  notable  man.    Bork, 


FORGING  OF  THE  SPEAE  99 

Thorgrim's  brother,  was  one,  and  another  Thor- 
grim,  called  Bottlenose,  was  another.  Bottle- 
nose  was  supposed  to  be  a  sorcerer,  but  however 
that  may  have  been,  he  loved  mischief,  and  made 
it  wherever  he  could.  He  had  not  been  long  at 
Seaboll  before  he  had  the  two  pieces  of  Gray- 
flanks  in  his  hands,  and  the  history  of  that  sword 
out  of  Thorkel. 

**A  thousand  pities  if  those  parts  don't  come 
together  again,''  he  said,  with  his  sharp  little 
eyes  shining  like  glowworms.  **  Namesake,  let 
you  and  I  weld  a  new  sword  out  of  this.  Some- 
thing tells  me  that  its  story  is  not  yet  out  of  it. ' ' 

Thorgrim  said  that  it  would  not  hold.  **  You 
might  make  a  spear  of  it — ^but  it  will  never  be 
a  sword  again." 

**A  spear  that  would  spit  a  walrus!"  said 
Bottlenose.  **I  see  a  remarkable  spear. 
Come,  let  us  blow  up  the  forge  and  smithy  it 
out."  Half  in  idleness  and  half  interested, 
Thorgrim  helped  him,  and  Thorkel,  who  would 
lend  himself  to  anything  except  serious  work, 
plunged  into  the  game.  They  were  at  it  all  the 
morning,  made  a  long  and  broad  spear-head; 


100  THE  OUTLAW 

and  before  the  day  was  over  it  was  fitted  to  a 
handle  of  a  span  long.  '^Grayflanks  will  be 
hungry  after  his  fast/'  said  Bottlenose.  The 
other  two  looked  at  him  without  speaking. 
Then,  as  if  the  words  came  out  of  him  unawares, 
Thorgrim  said  to  Thorkel,  *'I  hear  that  a  ship 
has  come  to  Aunundarfirth. ' '  Thorkel  flushed 
and  turned  away. 

The  same  tidings  of  a  ship  had  come  to  Gisli, 
and  troubled  him  in  his  care  for  the  winter 
feast.  **I  would  not  for  all  the  world  have 
Vestan  here  this  Yule,''  he  said  to  And;  ^^but 
he  will  come  if  I  cannot  stop  him  in  time." 
He  called  up  two  of  his  house-carles  and  sent 
them  oif  to  Hest.  He  gave  into  the  hands  of 
one  of  them  his  half  of  the  silver  coin.  *  ^  Show 
that  to  my  brother-in-law,"  he  said :  ^* greet  him 
well  from  me,  and  tell  him  that  by  that  token 
I  desire  him  to  remain  at  home  until  I  come 
to  see  him.  Whatever  you  do,  you  must  not 
miss  him.  My  heart  is  set  upon  it.  Fail  me 
not." 

The  two  men  set  off  at  once,  and  ran  most 


FORGING  OF  'THE:S?EABi  ^  ;> :  101 

of  the  way  down  Hawkdale,  and  so  to  the  open 
firth.  They  took  boat  across  the  water,  landed 
at  Brooksmouth,  and  made  the  best  of  their 
way  to  Bessastead,  where  they  borrowed  horses 
from  the  farmer  and  rode  up  Mossdale,  and  so 
crossed  the  watershed  and  looked  down  on 
Aunnndarfirth.  Their  way  was  now  along  that 
firth;  but  meantime  they  had  just  missed 
Vestan,  as  they  learned  when  they  reached  his 
house  under  Hest.  He  must  have  taken,  as 
indeed  he  did,  the  upper  road.  He  had  two 
strangers  with  him,  two  men  from  Norway,  his 
wife  said,  and  had  been  gone  six  hours.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  turn  back  and  ride 
after  him  by  the  road  he  had  gone. 

When  they  got  back  into  Mossdale  and  were 
at  the  top  of  the  pass,  there,  about  halfway 
down  the  dale,  they  saw  a  company  of  men 
riding.  They  pursued  with  the  last  effort  of 
their  horses,  and  when  they  could  go  no  farther, 
but  stopped  deadbeat,  they  left  them  in  the 
track,  and  ran,  shouting  and  hailing.  Just 
where  Mossdale  ends  and  the  great  heath  begins, 
which  is  called  Gemladale  Heath,  Vestan  and 


102  T^HE  OUTLAW 

his  companions  heard  them  and  waited  until 
they  came  up. 

He  was  told  the  message  from  Gisli,  he  saw 
the  token  and  knew  it  at  once.  It  must  be 
serious,  or  Gisli  would  not  have  sent  it  to  him 
—a  life-and-death  business.  But  he  would  not 
turn  back.  All  the  streams  were  flowing  down 
to  Dyrafirth,  and  he  had  set  his  heart  on  see- 
ing Gisli  and  Aud.  Danger  meant  little  to  him 
who  lived  in  the  midst  of  it ;  but  he  put  the  case 
to  the  two  strangers  in  his  company  and  ad- 
vised them  to  fare  back  to  Hest.  **  Whatever 
trouble  there  may  be  down  there,  'tis  none 
of  your  making.  You  will  be  well  off  with 
Gunnhild,  and  I  hope  to  see  her  again  before 
many  days.''  The  strangers  agreed  with  him, 
turned  their  horses  and  went  off  together. 
Then  Vestan  told  the  house-carles  to  go  home 
on  foot  by  the  crags.  **And  tell  them  at  Holl 
how  it  is  with  me,  that  I  am  coming  round  by 
the  head  of  the  firth  and  shall  be  with  them  at 
nightfall  tomorrow.  And  that  I  may  make 
better  speed,"  he  said,  ''do  you  take  between 
you  these  bales  of  mine,  and  let  them  bide  till 


FOEGING  OF  THE  SPEAE         103 

I  come.*'  So  he  struck  off  across  the  heath  to 
where  he  could  get  the  ferry,  and  the  two  hinds 
went  across  the  hills  to  Brooksmouth,  and  so 
home. 

Gisli  did  not  make  a  fuss  over  the  news  they 
brought  him.  If  it  must  be,  it  must  be,  and 
that  was  all  about  it.  He  told  Aud,  who  said, 
**We  will  make  him  keep  the  house.  There  is 
no  need  that  any  of  them  should  know  he  is 
here.''  Gisli  shook  his  head.  **If  he  is  bold 
enough  to  come  after  my  warning,  he  is  too 
bold  to  stay  indoors.  Besides,  he  has  to  pass 
by  Seaboll  to  get  here.'*  He  was  very  much 
troubled  about  it;  but  the  house  was  full  of 
guests  just  now,  and  they  must  not  see  an 
anxious  host. 

As  for  Vestan  himself,  he  had  warnings  on 
the  road.  At  Lambdale  it  was  a  kinswoman  of 
his,  named  Luta,  who  kept  the  ferry  at  the  firth- 
head.  As  he  left  her,  she  said,  ^^Take  care  of 
yourself.  It  is  not  safe  travelling  where  you 
are  going.**  The  whole  countryside  knew  of 
the  severance  between  Holl  and  Seaboll. 
Vestan  laughed  and  rode  on.    Then  he  came  to 


104  THE  OUTLAW 

the  second  arm  of  the  firth,  where  he  must  ferry- 
over  to  Thingere.  The  man  in  charge  was  one 
Thorhall,  whom  he  knew  well.  He  left  his 
horse  there  and  borrowed  another.  Thorhall 
asked  him  where  he  was  for.  **Why,  into 
Hawkdale,  to  be  sure,*'  said  Vestan,  *Ho  see 
my  kinsman  Gisli.''  Thorhall  looked  thought- 
ful ;  then  he  said,  *  *  If  you  please  to  wait  a  little 
I  will  ride  with  you  to  HoU.'' 

'^Nay,''  said  Vestan,  **what  need  of  thatr' 

Thorhall,  with  a  meaning  look,  said, 
**  Things  have  changed  since  you  were  there 
last.  Be  careful  of  your  steps  up  that  road. 
That  is  my  advice  to  you. '  * 

** Never  fear,"  said  Vestan,  and  rode  on. 

By  the  end  of  the  day  he  had  entered  the  nar- 
row way  of  Hawkdale;  and  it  was  deep  dusk 
when  he  saw  Seaboll  in  front  of  him.  The 
cattle  were  just  then  turning  into  the  barton 
for  the  night.  A  woman  in  the  entry  with  a 
pitchfork  in  her  hand;  Geirmund,  the  lad  who 
was  allotted  to  Thorkel  when  he  had  parted 
from  Gisli,  was  driving  the  beasts.    Vestan 


FOEGING  OF  THE  SPEAR         105 

reined  up  to  let  them  go  in,  and  Geirmund 
knew  him.  As  he  passed  by  the  boy  looked  up 
at  him  and  said,  ** Don't  you  come  in  here.  Do 
you  go  on  to  Holl — and  take  care  what  you  do 
when  you  are  there.''  Vestan  nodded  his 
thanks,  and  when  the  cattle  were  by  him,  rode 
on  at  a  footpace.  The  girl  at  the  gate  looked 
closely  at  him,  and  when  he  had  gone,  turned 
to  Geirmund. 

''Who  ever  was  that?" 

''Nay,''  said  Geirmund,  "how  should  I 
know?" 

"Why,  I  saw  you  speak  to  him,"  she  cried. 

"You  never  did,"  said  Geirmund.  "I 
thought  it  was  Aunund's  man  from  Twindale." 

She  scoffed  at  him.  "  To  carry  a  spear !  To 
ride  a  good  horse  I  To  pass  no  word  as  he 
went!  Make  up  a  better  tale  than  that,  my 
lad." 

She  went  on  grumbling  and  wondering  aloud 
who  the  stranger  could  be;  and  she  was  still 
talking  about  it  when  she  went  into  the  house. 
Thorgrim  and  Thorkel  were  both  in  the  hall, 


106  THE  OUTLAW 

sitting  by  the  great  fire.  Thorgrim  called  out 
to  the  girl,  whose  name  was  Eannveg,  to  tell 
him  who  rode  by  just  now. 

**I  thought  it  was  Vestan  of  Hest  myself,'* 
she  said.  **He  had  a  spear  in  his  hand  and  a 
great  cloak  over  him — but  I  thought  it  was  he.** 

Geirmund  stood  behind  her,  bright-eyed. 
**Greirmund,  who  was  it?'*  Thorgrim  said,  fix- 
ing him  with  a  look;  but  Geirmund  did  not 
quail. 

**It  was  dark — I  could  scarcely  see  him. 
Myself  I  thought  it  was  Aunund*s  man  from 
Twindale. '  * 

**Had  he  a  spear?    Did  you  see  that?** 

**I  thought  he  carried  a  salmon-spear,**  said 
Geirmund. 

Thorgrim  looked  at  Thorkel,  who  stretched 
out  his  hands  to  the  fire. 

*'One  of  you  is  a  liar,**  said  Thorgrim,  ^*but 
I  want  to  know  who  that  man  was.  Eannveg, 
you  shall  go  now  to  Holl,  and  find  out  whether 
a  stranger  has  come  there  or  no.  Be  off  with 
you.** 

So  Eannveg  went  up  the  dale  to  Holl,  and 


FOEGING  OF  THE  SPEAR         107 

hung  about  there,  not  knowing  what  to  do. 
She  was  afraid  to  go  to  the  door,  lest  they 
should  ask  her  what  she  wanted,  and  she  not 
know  what  answer  to  make.  So  she  hung 
about  the  yard  with  no  clear  intention,  and 
there,  as  fate  would  have  it,  blundered  against 
Gisli  himself,  who  had  been  looking  after  Ves- 
tan^s  horse. 

'*How  nowr'  said  Gisli.  ''Who  is  this  in 
my  armsT'  Rannveg  told  him.  *'And  what 
do  you  want  of  us,  my  girl?*' 

She  said  she  was  going  home,  and  had  thought 
she  might  see  Gudrid.  Gudrid  was  Geir- 
mund's  sister. 

*'So  you  shall,''  said  Gisli,  and  went  to  call 
her;  but  when  Gudrid  came  Rannveg  was  not 
to  be  seen.  She  had  run  back  to  Seaboll  as  if 
the  fiend  was  after  her. 


THE  GIPTS 

VESTAN  was  welcome  at  Holl,  though 
Gisli  shook  his  head  over  him,  even  as 
he  clasped  his  hands.  ^*I  did  all  I  could  to 
keep  you  away — and  you  know  I  should  have 
come  over  to  you.  Why  did  you  not  keep  your 
promise?  What  could  I  send  you  of  more 
meaning  than  that  token  T' 

**I  believe  I  was  wrong  to  come,''  Vestan 
confessed;  *^but  I'll  tell  you.  I  had  brought 
over  some  foreign  stuff  as  gifts  to  you  and 
Aud,  and  I  couldn't  deprive  myself  of  that 
pleasure.    There  you  have  it. " 

Aud  kissed  him  and  put  her  arms  round  his 
neck.   ^ '  Oh,  my  dear,  I  wish  you  were  not  here. ' ' 

**You  are  an  inhospitable  pair,  I  must  say," 
Vestan  said,  still  laughing.  **Now,  as  I  hate 
black  work,  let  me  hear  what  the  pother  is. 
Who  needs  my  life?    Whom  have  I  injured!" 

Then  they  tell  him  all  they  know,  and  he  is 

108 


THE  GIFTS  109 

more  puzzled  than  ever.  * '  Asgerd  ?  That  light 
money?  Never  in  your  Hfe.  I  may  have  been 
in  her  company  a  hundred  times  and  never 
known  whether  she  was  there  or  not.'' 

**She  has  lost  her  heart  to  you,''  said  Aud, 
but  Vestan,  with  scorn,  *^She  has  none  to  lose." 
But  there  it  was — enmity  between  Seaboll  and 
Holl  ever  since  the  fatal  talk  in  the  bower. 

Vestan  said  presently,  **Let  me  go  over  now, 
at  once,  and  see  Thorkel.  He  is  a  good,  easy 
fellow.  We  have  always  been  friends."  But 
Gisli  would  not  have  it. 

'*You  should  go — and  I  with  you — ^willingly," 
he  said.  **But  there  is  Thorgrim,  and  I  don't 
trust  him." 

**And  there  is  Thordis  too — and  Thordis  is 
an  enemy."    It  was  Aud  said  that. 

**Why  should  Thordis  be  an  enemy?"  asks 
Vestan. 

**She  is  my  enemy,  I  believe,"  Aud  replies, 
**and  no  well-wisher  to  you." 

But  Gisli,  who  had  been  brooding  while  Aud 
spoke,  now  said,  **No,  but  I  think  she  is  mine. 
I  remember  when  we  lived  in  Norway  how  it 


110  THE  OUTLAW 

always  was.  Such  friends  as  we  had  must 
either  consort  with  me,  or  with  her  and  Thor- 
kel.  Those  two  were  the  favourites  and  had 
the  most  friends ;  and  I,  whatever  I  did,  seemed 
to  be  against  them  and  their  plans.  That 
good-for-naught  Kolbiorn  was  of  their  friends. 
All  the  evening  long  they  would  be  whispering 
and  laughing  together — I  knew  not  at  what,  nor 
would  they  ever  tell  me.  Our  father  used  to  be 
beside  himself  with  rage,  but  because  those  two 
always  drew  together  he  would  not  ask  Thor- 
kel  to  clear  the  dishonour  Kolbiorn  was  doing. 
Therefore  he  made  me  do  it.  Thorkel  took 
himself  away  from  home  for  six  weeks  or  more. 
I  don't  think  he  has  even  been  the  same  to  me 
since — and  as  for  Thordis,  my  belief  is  she  has 
never  forgiven  me  that,  and  never  will.  And 
yet  Kolbiorn  was  only  fooling  with  her,  and  she 
knew  it,  and  cared  not  a  pin  about  him.  So 
it  is  in  a  family  often  enough  that  one  will  be 
as  it  were  an  alien  from  birth,  and  never  in 
the  right  whatever  he  do.  This  is  my  case,  I 
believe.'' 

Gisli  had  never  spoken  so  freely  before  either 


THE  GIFTS  111 

to  Aud  or  Vestan;  but  now  he  spoke  of  what 
had  been  present  to  him  all  his  life.  He  spoke 
sadly,  but  not  bitterly;  for  it  was  not  his  na- 
ture to  resent  anything.  Aud  was  not  con- 
vinced. She  said  no  more,  but  her  locked  lips 
showed  that  she  held  to  her  belief. 

Vestan  frowned  over  all  this,  which  he  found 
tiresome.  He  was  himself  a  very  friendly  soul. 
But  he  presently  recollected  something. 

**I  remember  now  when  we  came  back  from 
the  Thing,  and  it  was  a  question  of  a  blood-bond 
between  us.  Thorgrim  first  of  all  moved  it, 
and  then,  when  we  had  cut  the  turf  and  Grisli 
and  I  had  bled  in  it — well,  then  he  would  not 
do  it.    I  never  knew  why  that  was.'' 

*'And  I  did  not,  either,  *'  Gisli  said,  **save 
that  I  always  believed  he  distrusted  me  and 
wished  not  to  make  me  stronger.  And  now 
you  see  he  has  got  Thorkel  away  from  us  here, 
having  already  got  Thordis;  so  his  house  is 
stronger  than  mine." 

''Ah,  put  all  this  foolishness  out  of  mind,'' 
said  Vestan.  '  *  Here  are  we  all  together,  ready 
to  let  them  alone  if  they  wish  it  that  way. 


U2  THE  OUTLAW 

Come  you  in  now  and  see  what  I  have  brought 
you." 

He  turned  out  the  bales  which  the  house-carles 
had  brought  in.  There  were  many  ells  of  fine 
stuff  there,  a  scarf  of  twenty  ells  woven  in 
stripes  with  gold  and  red  and  blue,  some  seventy 
ells  of  hangings  for  the  hall  of  excellent  work- 
manship, and  two  basons  of  silver-gilt  which 
had  come  from  Micklegarth  and  were  beauti- 
fully hammered  with  knops  of  fruit  and  flowers, 
and  bulls  eating  of  them.  The  scarf  was  for 
And,  the  hangings  and  the  gold  work  for  Gisli 
and  Thorkel,  to  be  divided  between  them.  Gisli 
said  that  now  he  must  certainly  go  to  Seaboll. 

And  go  he  did,  the  next  day,  leaving  Vestan 
under  promise  not  to  quit  the  house.  He  went 
over  alone  on  horseback  and  arrived  about  noon. 
He  had  the  bale  of  goods  with  him. 

Thorkel  was  lying  on  the  hearth  at  full  length, 
and  Thorgrim  was  standing  with  his  back  to 
the  fire.  Thordis  came  in  presently;  but  not 
Asgerd.  It  looked  to  Gisli  as  if  his  coming  had 
been  perceived  and  arrangements  made  accord- 
ingly. 


THE  GIFTS  113 

Thorkel  jumped  up  directly  he  saw  who  it 
was  and  came  down  to  greet  his  brother.  Thor- 
grim  nodded  his  head,  but  made  no  motion.  As 
for  Thordis,  she  stood  midway  between  door 
and  high  table,  her  head  stiff,  her  colour  high, 
and  her  blue  eyes  astare. 

Gisli  addressed  himself  to  Thorkel  only,  and 
spoke  plainly,  after  his  fashion.  You  could  not 
have  detected,  unless  you  had  known  him  well, 
the  love  he  had  for  his  brother  or  his  longing 
for  the  happiness  which  he  had  once  had  and 
now  was  lost. 

^^Yestan  has  come  back  from  the  sea,''  he 
said,  ^ '  and  is  now  at  Holl.  He  greets  you  well, 
and  since  you  are  no  longer  where  he  hoped  to 
find  you,  sends  you  here  the  gifts  which  he  was 
to  have  made  you."  He  opened  the  bale,  took 
out  the  gilt  bason,  put  it  on  the  table,  and 
showed  the  hangings  by  lifting  up  a  flap  of  the 
stuff. 

Thorgrim  spoke  from  the  fire.  **Vestan 
might  have  brought  his  gifts  over  himself,''  but 
Gisli  kept  his  eyes  upon  his  brother,  and  Thor- 


114  THE  OUTLAW 

kel  himself  did  not  take  ^p  the  line  which  was 
intended  to  help  him. 

Thorkel,  indeed,  was  not  happy  about  all  this. 
He  was  still  sore  where  he  had  been  wounded; 
but  the  affair  had  been  taken  out  of  his  hands, 
and  he  knew  not  how  to  regain  the  hold  of  it. 
He  could  not  take  these  things — that  he  did 
know. 

**They  are  very  fine — ^I  can  see  that.  But 
they  were  gifts  made  to  you,  and  you  deserve 
them.  I  think  you  should  keep  them  for  your- 
self.'' 

Thorgrim  looked  to  Thordis  as  he  said,  *'So 
I  also  should  think.''  But  Thordis  only  sniffed 
and  stared  at  the  gold  bason. 

Gisli  took  it  up  in  his  plain  way.  **Tour 
meaning  is  that  you  will  not  have  them!  I  am 
sorry  for  that." 

'*Yes,''  said  Thorkel,  'Hhat  is  what  I  mean. 
I  am  sorry  too.    But  how  am  I  to  repay  such 

gifts  r' 

''Vestan  asks  no  payment  for  gifts.  That 
is  not  his  way,"  Gisli  said;  and  then,  **I  hoped 
you  would  have  taken  the  things  as  they  were 


THE  GIFTS  115 

intended — but  if  you  will  not,  they  must  go  back 
with  me/'  In  a  painful  silence  he  refolded  the 
stuff,  wrapped  up  the  bason  and  bestowed  them 
in  his  sack.  Then  without  a  look  or  word  more 
he  went  down  the  hall  and  out  of  the  door,  which 
he  shut  after  him.  They  heard  him  unfasten 
his  horse's  tether  from  the  ring,  mount  and  ride 
out  of  the  garth.  Thorkel,  who  was  very  un- 
happy, went  to  the  window  and  looked  after 
him.  Thordis  went  back  to  the  bower,  and 
Thorgrim,  after  a  time  of  staring  and  silence, 
left  the  fireplace,  crossed  over  to  Thorkel  where 
he  stood  and  put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder. 


XI 

THE  STOBM 

THE  storm  began  at  midnight  withont 
warning.  When  they  went  to  bed  at 
Holl  it  had  been  a  clear  sky  of  starlight;  but  at 
midnight  Gisli  woke  up  to  hear  the  wind  roar- 
ing and  the  rain  lashing  at  the  side  of  the  house. 
He  sat  up  to  listen  to  it,  and  thought  that  he 
had  never  heard  such  a  wind  before.  It  seemed 
to  blow  with  a  steady  violence  for  some  time, 
and  then  to  increase  suddenly  to  such  a  fury  of 
attack  that  the  timbers  of  the  roof  shook,  and 
his  very  bed  quaked  under  him.  He  was  in- 
terested, but  not  then  frightened ;  after  every  fit 
of  fury  he  said  to  himself,  **  There  can  be  no 
greater  blast  than  that.''  But  the  next,  when 
it  came,  was  certainly  greater;  and  so  it  went 
on. 

Aud  woke  up  and  spoke  to  him.    **What  a 
storm!    Do  you  think  the  roof  will  bear  ItT' 

116 


THE  STORM  117 

**I  have  been  wondering/^  he  said — and  as 
he  spoke  the  wind  seemed  to  seize  upon  the 
house  with  a  snarling  and  biting  sound,  as  if 
it  had  caught  it  with  teeth  and  claws.  Then 
with  a  rending  and  tearing,  something  gave 
overhead,  and  they  both  felt  rain  upon  their 
faces.  Gisli  jumped  out  of  bed  and  began  put- 
ting on  some  clothes.  **I  must  go  outside  and 
see  after  the  cattle,"  he  said.  *^0h,  my  love,'* 
said  Aud,  ** don't  go  just  yef 

Vestan  came  over  to  the  bed.  **The  roof  has 
gone,''  he  said,  **and  I  am  being  wetted.  Put 
the  lamp  in  a  safe  place  and  we  can  see  what  we 
are  doing."  But  the  lamp's  flame  was  blown 
sideways  as  he  was  speaking,  and  went  sud- 
denly out. 

**Stay  here  with  Aud,"  said  Q-isli,  **and  pull 
the  beds  out  of  the  drip.  I  must  go  out  to  the 
byres." 

**I  will  come  with  you,"  Vestan  said.  But 
Grisli  spoke  shortly.  **You  will  do  no  such 
thing.  I  will  get  all  the  men  up  and  have  more 
than  enough  help."  He  was  dressed  by  that 
time,  with  shoes  on  his  feet  and  a  cloak  over  his 


118  THE  OUTLAW 

shirt  and  breeches.  They  heard  him  cross  the 
hall  and  go  to  the  door  which  led  to  the  hinds' 
quarters.  After  a  time  of  waiting  they  heard 
them  all  go  out.  The  wind  had  not  abated,  and 
the  rain  was  rather  increased.  Vestan  haled 
the  beds  down  the  hall  and  found  a  dry  place 
for  them.  And  now  they  both  got  into  bed 
again,  and  as  they  got  warm  they  presently 
dozed  and  slept. 

Aud  awoke  with  a  start,  feeling  rather  than 
hearing  somebody  moving  in  the  room.  She 
lay  with  wide-open  eyes  waiting  and  listening. 
It  was  still  dark  in  the  room,  but  she  could  see 
the  grey  square  of  the  window.  The  wind  and 
rain  were  still  furious. 

Then  she  heard  something  more.  **Who  is 
there?  Is  that  you,  GisliT'  she  said,  and  sat^ 
up.  She  heard  a  sudden  rustle,  as  of  something 
shot  forward,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  throt- 
tled cry,  **Ah,  I  am  stabbed!"  from  Vestan. 
She  turned  towards  his  bed  and  got  out :  as  she 
did  it,  again  she  heard  light  steps  in  the  room. 

** Vestan,  Vestan,  what  is  itf"    She  went 


THE  STORM  119 

shaking  to  his  bed,  and  felt  for  him.  Her  hand 
went  into  something  warm  and  wet.  She 
shrieked.  **0h,  oh,  oh!''  Vestan  did  not 
move. 

And  was  cold  all  over,  and  her  heart  stood 
still.  Then,  while  she  waited  there,  the  blood 
seemed  to  surge  back  and  overload  her  head, 
till  her  brows  throbbed  with  the  tide  of  it.  She 
left  the  bed  and  went  down  the  hall  to  the  men's 
quarters.  **Is  any  one  here?  Come  and  help 
me." 

A  voice  answered  her,  **I  am  here,  mistress. 
I  come."  She  knew  the  voice  of  Thord,  who 
was  called  Faintheart  at  Holl,  though  he  was 
a  man  of  Gisli's  size  and  strength. 

**Come  quickly,  bring  a  light.  There  has 
been  black  work  in  the  dark,"  she  said. 

Thord  blundered  with  the  flint  and  steel.  His 
hands  were  shaking  already.  At  last  he  came 
out,  white-faced,  with  a  light.  **What  is  it, 
mistress?    Eh,  what  a  night,  what  a  night  I " 

Aud  took  the  lamp  from  him  and  led  the 
way.  She  was  desperate  now,  and  dared  to 
know  everything.    Vestan  lay  on  his  back,  with 


120  THE  OUTLAW 

his  head  thrown  up  and  sideways.  A  great 
spear,  with  a  haft  of  a  span's  length,  was  driven 
right  through  his  chest.  Blood  still  flowed 
from  the  wound,  but  languidly.  His  eyes  were 
open,  but  glazed  and  fixed.  His  mouth  was 
shut,  the  teeth  clenched. 

Aud  looked  at  him  now.  Pity  made  her  half 
divine.  She  seemed  to  stand  above  the  wrongs 
of  men.  **0h,  my  dear,  my  dear,  who  never 
harmed  a  living  creature.''  Then  she  turned 
to  Thord,  who  was  shuddering  behind  her. 
**Pull  out  the  spear." 

But  the  poor  wretch  durst  not.  ^^  Mistress, 
don't  ask  me.  I  could  not  touch  it."  It  was 
getting  slowly  lighter.  She  saw  that  Thord 
had  sat  down  by  the  table.  He  was  holding  his 
head,  and  saying,  *  *  Oh,  what  will  become  of  us  ? " 
Aud  was  suddenly  angry.  *^Go  out  and  find 
the  master.  Bring  him  to  me.  Go  at  once." 
Thord  went  out  like  a  sheep,  and  she  was  left 
alone  with  Vestan. 

She  put  out  the  lamp,  which  showed  him  hor- 
ribly. In  the  dark  you  might  have  thought  he 
was  peaceably  asleep.    She  would  do  nothing 


THE  STORM  121 

to  him  till  Gisli  came  in.  She  longed  for  Gisli 
to  be  with  her. 

The  wind  had  died  away,  though  it  was  still 
raining  hard  when  she  heard  Gisli  knocking  his 
feet  against  the  doorpost.  She  went  to  meet 
him.  He  came  in,  searching  her  face,  to  read 
the  trath.  He  read  it.  **My  And,  is  it  thatr' 
She  fell  into  his  arms  and  began  to  cry  bitterly. 
He  let  her  cry,  but  did  not  cry  himself.  Now 
that  the  blow  had  fallen  he  knew  that  he  had 
known  all  along  it  must  be  so.  He  was  not 
shocked  by  it,  and  not  yet  angry;  he  did  not 
see  clearly  yet  what  remained  for  him  to  do. 
He  drew  Aud  along  with  him  and  stood  by  the 
body.  Then,  when  he  remembered  what  Ves- 
tan  had  been  a  few  hours  before,  and  all  his 
eagerness  and  zest  of  life — what  that  had  been, 
he  broke  down.  **My  brother,  my  brother!'' 
was  all  he  could  say,  and  he  fell  on  his  knees 
by  the  bed,  and  said  it  again  and  again — **My 
brother,  my  brother  I" 

He  told  her  to  go  and  fetch  warm  water  and 
the  grave-clouts,  and  while  she  was  gone  he 
drew  out  the  great  spear.    He  looked  at  it 


122  THE  OUTLAW^ 

closely,  but  did  not  know  it.  He  marvelled  at 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  blade,  and  at  the 
thinness  and  temper  of  the  steel.  Knowing 
much  about  smith's  work,  he  saw  at  once  that 
it  was  not  such  steel  as  men  made  in  his  day. 
Then,  in  a  flash,  Grayflanks,  the  broken  sword, 
came  into  his  mind ;  and  he  examined  the  handle 
of  this  spear.  It  was  new — he  saw  it  plainly. 
That  satisfied  him  that  the  murderer  was  from 
Seaboll;  but  not  whether  it  was  Thorgrim  or 
Thorkel.  When  Aud  came  back  this  new  in- 
terest in  the  business  absorbed  him.  He  was 
able  to  wash  and  lay  Vestan  out  as  befitted, 
and  even  to  take  steps  towards  his  avenging. 

Aud  fetched  out  some  of  the  women  of  the 
house,  and  set  them  getting  breakfast  ready. 
When  they  had  eaten,  Gisli  called  Gudrid,  his 
foster-child,  to  him,  and  told  her  that  she  was  to 
go  over  to  Seaboll  and  tell  the  news  there. 
**And  I  want  you  to  find  out  for  me  what  men 
are  about  there.     Can  you  do  that?" 

Gudrid  nodded.  **Yes,  I  can.  But  they  will 
know  the  news." 

** Never  mind  what  they  know  or  don't  know," 


THE  STORM  123 

said  Gisli,  **biit  go  in  and  tell  them  the  news. 
Now  I  trust  you  more  than  any  one  here — so  you 
won't  fail  me,  I  know." 

Gudrid  said  no  more — but  went  as  she  was 
bid.  She  was  a  sharp-faced  little  girl,  swarthy- 
skinned,  black-eyed,  nearly  fourteen  years  old, 
though  she  looked  younger.  Between  her  and 
her  brother  Geirmund  was  a  good  understand- 
ing kept  up.  Gisli  knew  that  he  could  trust 
them  both. 

She  came  back  in  about  an  hour's  time  with 
her  report,  which  she  delivered  soberly  and 
without  falter.  **When  I  knocked  at  the  door 
it  was  opened  at  once.  Thorgrim  Bottlenose 
opened  it.  He  was  in  steel  and  had  a  sword  in 
his  hand.  He  looked  surprised  to  see  me  there. 
I  said  I  had  a  message  for  my  cousin  Thorkel; 
and  Thorkel  himself  called  me  to  come  in.  I 
went  in.  There  were  six  men  there,  all  of  them 
armed.  Thorgrim  Frey's  Priest  was  standing 
up  before  the  fire;  my  cousin  Thorkel  had  an 
ax  in  his  hand;  it  stood  between  his  knees. 
My  cousin  Thordis  was  not  there.  I  heard 
somebody  crying  beyond  the  wall— not  Thordis. 


124  THE  OUTLAW 

I  heard  Thordis  scolding.  They  all  looked  at 
due.  They  waited  for  me  to  speak.  I  told 
Thorkel  that  Vestan  had  been  killed  in  the 
night.  He  said,  *Yon  bring  bad  news.*  Thor- 
grim  Bottlenose  said,  *It  was  a  night  of  mis- 
chief.' I  said,  *Who  is  that  crying  beyond  the 
walir  Thorgrim  said,  *  Nobody  is  crying — and 
yet  it  were  no  wonder  if  the  women  mourned 
at  such  news  as  yours.'  Then  nobody  spoke, 
but  I  still  heard  crying,  and  Thordis  speaking 
in  the  bower. 

**  Thorgrim  Frey's  Priest  spoke  to  Thorkel 
and  said,  ^  There  must  be  a  worthy  funeral  of 
such  a  man.  He  must  be  laid  in  a  great  bar- 
row. We  will  all  go  and  help.'  Then  he  said 
to  me,  ^Run  you  back  and  tell  Gisli  that  we  are 
coming.  He  has  had  a  great  loss.  Tell  him 
what  I  say.'  I  asked  where  Geirmund  was. 
Thorkel  said,  *He  is  not  here.  We  will  tell  him 
this  news.  Now  run  back  with  your  message.' 
So  then  I  came  home.  I  looked  for  Geirmund 
outside  the  house,  but  could  not  see  him  any- 
where." 

Aud  said  to  Gisli,  **It  was  Asgerd  crying  in 


THE  STOEM  125 

the  bower.''  Gisli  did  not  answer  her,  but  re- 
mained in  deep  thought.  Then  he  said  to  Gu- 
drid,  **It  was  Thorgrim  Bottlenose  opened  the 
door?    How  did  he  look?" 

**He  showed  his  teeth,"  said  the  child;  *^and 
his  great  nose  looked  to  be  on  fire." 

**But  when  he  saw  that  it  was  you — what 
then?" 

**Then  he  opened  his  mouth,  and  I  saw  his 
tongue. ' ' 

*^Did  he  not  say  anything?" 
**No.    He  only  stared  at  me.    I  said  I  had  a 
message  for  Thorkel,  and  Thorkel  called  me  at 
once. ' ' 
**And  then  you  told  him  the  news?" 
**Yes,  I  did;  but  he  was  afraid  of  me." 
**How  do  you  know  he  was  afraid?" 
'*  Because  when  I  told  him  his  eyes  flickered, 
like  candles  in  a  draught." 

**And  what  did  Thorgrim  the  Priest  do?" 
**He  stood  with  his  back  to  the  fire,  and  looked 
hard  at  me.     Then  he  looked  at  Thorkel.    Then 
Thorkel  said,  *That  is  bad  news.'  " 
Aud  said,  **It  was  not  Thorkel  who  did  this 


126  THE  OUTLAW 

murder.  But  what  Gudrid  saw  in  him  is  clear 
enough.  He  knows  who  did  it."  Grisli  kissed 
Gudrid  and  sent  her  away. 

When  she  was  gone  he  said  to  his  wife,  *^You 
think  it  was  Thorgrim's  deedV 

She  said,  **I  know  it  was.'* 

Gisli  knew  it  too  in  his  heart.  He  was  cer- 
tain of  the  spear,  and  certain  that  Thorkel  had 
not  used  it  on  Vestan.  He  knew  his  brother  to 
the  roots.  He  would  no  more  kill  than  he  would 
do  anything  else.  He  was  incapable  of  action. 
It  was  one  of  the  Thorgrims  then — but  which? 
Bottlenose  had  a  bad  name.  He  was  well 
known  for  an  outrageous  dealer,  for  a  man  not 
always  answerable  for  what  he  did.  But  Gisli 
did  not  believe  he  had  done  it.  There  was 
only  one  man  who  would  have  murdered  Vestan, 
and  that  was  the  husband  of  Thordis. 


XII 

CONVICTION 

THEY  laid  Vestan,  full-armed,  in  a  long 
boat,  and  oxen  drew  him  to  the  hillside 
between  Holl  and  Seaboll  where  the  howe  was 
to  be  heaped  over  him.  All  this  was  done  be- 
fore men  came  from  Seaboll  to  help  at  the  bury- 
ing; but  when  they  had  the  boat  at  the  chosen 
place,  and  were  piling  the  howe  behind  it,  Gisli 
saw  them  riding  over  the  heath.  He  saw  Thor- 
grim  and  Thorkel  riding  together  in  front,  and 
behind  them  an  armed  company  with  spears. 
Some  of  his  men  saw  them  too ;  but  Gisli  said, 
*^Get  on;  get  on.  There  is  no  call  upon  us  to 
await  them.''  He  himself  took  no  notice  of 
them. 

The  men  from  Seaboll  stayed  at  some  two 
spear-casts  distance.  Thorgrim  and  Thorkel 
dismounted  and  came  toward  the  burial.  Still 
Gisli  took  no  heed  of  them,  so  they  stood  rather 
uncertainly  a  little  way  off,  watching. 

127 


128  THE  OUTLAW 

By  and  by  tlie  heaped  soil  enclosed  tHe  long- 
boat on  three  sides,  and  Gisli  was  looking  his 
last  upon  Vestan,  and  tears  dimmed  his  eyes 
and  made  him  start.  He  turned,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment his  eyes  met  those  of  the  great  blaok- 
bearded  man  beside  him.  It  was  only  for  a 
moment,  for  Gisli  turned  his  at  once  to  the 
dead;  but  Thorgrim's  had  not  turned  away. 

Thorgrim  spoke.  ^^I  am  come,  brother-in- 
law,  to  do  an  office  to  the  dead.'' 

*'What  more  will  you  do?"  said  Gisli— but 
Thorgrim  did  not  change  either  his  tone  or  his 
purpose. 

'*The  hell-shoes  must  be  put  on  him  that  he 
may  walk  in  safety  and  honour  to  Valhall. 
Now  I  will  bind  them  on  him  as  is  fitting." 

Gisli  could  not  refuse  him.  Thorgrim  was 
the  priest  of  Frey  and  within  his  rights.  More- 
over, Thorkel  was  now  come  up  and  had  put  his 
hand  on  Gisli 's  shoulder. 

'*Do  it,  then,"  Gisli  said,  and  Thorgrim,  who 
had  the  shoes  in  his  hand,  tied  them  on  the  dead 
man's  feet  with  leather  thongs.    Then  he  stood 


CONVICTION  129 

up  and  said,  **If  these  shoes  loosen  on  his  road, 
then  say  I  know  nothing  of  hell-shoes. '^ 

The  earth  was  heaped  over  Vestan,  and  the 
company  broke  up.  Thorgrim  went  back  to 
his  -own  men,  mounted  his  horse  and  walked 
away  over  the  heath  towards  Seaboll.  But 
Thorkel  stayed  behind,  sitting  with  Gisli  on  the 
side  of  the  hill. 

Gisli  was  glad  to  have  him  there,  for  he  was 
a  man  who  hungered  for  affection  and  who  had 
always  loved  his  own  people  more  strongly 
than  he  had  been  loved.  So  when  Thorkel 
talked  gently  to  him,  he  answered  him  gently. 

Thorkel  was  very  gentle.  *^This  is  a  terrible 
thing  for  your  house, '^  he  said.  *VWill  you  not 
tell  me  how  And  doesT^ 

*^Aud  never  says  very  much,"  said  Gisli, 
**but  she  feels  it  the  deeplier  for  that.  She 
has  not  wept  since  the  first  moment  when  she 
told  me  of  what  had  been  done.  Before  long 
I  must  go  over  to  Hest  with  her  to  see  Gunnhild 
and  her  sons.  If  she  weeps  with  them  it  will 
be  well  for  her.'' 


130  THE  OUTLAW 

**Yes,  yes/'  said  Thorkel.  ^'Crjdng  is  good 
for  women. ' ' 

It  was  in  Gisli's  mind  to  ask  whether  Asgerd 
was  still  crying,  and  Thordis  still  scolding  her 
—but  he  prevented  himself  by  biting  his  lip. 

^'And  you,  Gisli,''  Thorkel  went  on,  ''how  is 
it  with  yourself  f 

Then  Gisli  let  himself  go.  ''Do  you  ask  me 
that?  I  will  tell  you.  I  think  day  and  night 
upon  my  slain  brother.  At  night  I  dream  of 
him.  I  see  a  snake  come  out  of  a  certain  house. 
I  see  him  writhing  along  the  track.  He  worms 
in  beneath  the  door,  and  bites  Vestan's  neck. 
Or  a  wolf  comes  out,  with  bright  eyes,  and  his 
tongue  lolling  out  at  the  side,  over  his  teeth. 
And  patiently  he  pads  the  road,  and  with  mad 
looks  he  bites  Vestan's  neck  in  the  same  place. 
Then  I  wake  in  a  sweat  of  fear,  and  wonder 
what  these  things  mean.  Who  should  bite 
Vest  an  but  a  snake  or  a  wolf?  Who  but  they? 
Did  you  do  it,  brother?'' 

Thorkel    shuddered.     "I    did    not.    I    did 
not.'' 

Gisli  said,  "You  did  not.    I  know  you  did  not. 


CONVICTION  131 

Yet  I  tell  you  that  this  deed  was  begun  when 
you  separated  yourself  from  me.'' 

*'No,  no/'  said  Thorkel.  **Say  no  more 
about  it." 

^*I  will  say  no  more,"  said  Gisli,  '^for  I  know 
no  more  certainly  than  that.  But  I  will  ask 
you  one  thing  more.  What  have  you  done  with 
the  broken  sword  Grayflanks,  which  was  an  in- 
heritance of  woe  to  us  from  Kol  the  freedman?" 

Thorkel  showed  the  whites  of  his  eyes,  but 
turned  away  his  head  quickly.  There  was  si- 
lence between  the  brothers  for  a  while. 

Thorkel  was  the  first  to  recover  himself.  **I 
grieve  for  Aud,"  he  said.  *^Tell  me,  does  she 
weep  for  him!" 

**I  have  told  you,"  said  Gisli.  ^^She  has 
wept,  and  she  will  weep  again.  But  her  tears 
shall  be  staunched  when  the  day  for  staunch- 
ing comes.  But  that  is  not  yet."  He  rose  to 
his  feet.  **Let  us  go — there  is  nothing  more 
to  say." 

''There  is  this,"  said  Thorkel,  ''that  I  should 
wish  our  love  to  endure." 

"If  you  wish  for  that,"  said  Gisli,  "why  then 


132  THE  OUTLAT\^ 

did  you  break  up  our  household?"  He  did  not 
wait  for  an  answer,  but  continued,  *  *  As  for  me, 
the  love  I  had  for  you  I  have  still.  I  am  not 
given  to  change." 

Thorkel  then  said,  *^You  have  a  great  heart, 
and  can  afford  to  be  generous.  I  cannot  speak 
as  I  would — this  is  not  the  time.  But  if  you 
are  willing  to  be  friends  with  me,  then  I  beg  of 
you  to  let  these  troubles  bide  for  a  while.  Men 
will  be  talking,  and  a  feud  is  easier  made  than 
mended.  Let  us  come  together  in  what  friend- 
ship we  can — I  bind  you  to  nothing — how  can 

*^What  would  you  have,  then?"  Gisli  asked. 

**Why,"  said  Thorkel,  *^I  would  have  sport 
together  the  rest  of  the  winter — and,  if  it  may 
be,  feasts  also."    Gisli  frowned. 

*^You  will  do  well  not  to  come  to  my  house 
just  now.  You  would  not  be  welcome  to  Aud 
— ^nor  would  any  from  SeaboU  unless  it  were 
Asgerd." 

Thorkel  said  nothing  about  Asgerd,  but  again 
urged  that  there  should  be  sports.  Gisli  said 
that  if  there  were  sports  he  would  come — and 


CONVICTION  133 

then  they  parted.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  busi- 
ness on  hand  before  he  could  think  of  ice-games. 
There  was  his  roof  to  repair;  there  was  a  jour- 
ney with  Aud  to  Hest  which  must  be  made. 
Vestan  had  left  three  sons,  the  eldest  no  more 
than  fourteen ;  but  he  had  a  large  kindred  and 
there  would  be  no  trouble  about  the  estate. 

But  presently  Thorkel,  meeting  him,  urged 
the  matter  of  sports  upon  him.  Let  them  have 
games  on  the  ice,  he  said,  and  a  great  gather- 
ing, which  would  stay  malicious  tongues,  and 
do  much  towards  peace.  He  was  very  earnest 
about  it,  and  Gisli  consented.  *^I  will  come, 
since  you  wish  it,''  he  said,  ^^but  Aud  will  not 
come,  nor  will  I  ask  her — nor  shall  you.  And  I 
will  come  upon  these  terms  only,  to  which  I 
ask  your  attention — namely,  that  if  it  should 
hereafter  come  to  pass  that  you  are  struck  as 
I  have  been  and  feel  it  as  cruelly,  that  you  do 
for  my  sake  what  I  now  do  for  yours. ' '  Thor- 
kel flinched  at  that,  and  looked  scared;  but  he 
gave  his  word — **Be  sure  of  me,  brother,  in 
any  such  case  as  that.''  Then  Gisli  prepared 
himself  to  match  with  SeaboU  on  the  ice. 


134  THE  OUTLAW 

The  game,  which  was  the  ball-game,  was  to 
be  played  out  in  a  tarn  in  the  hills,  on  good  and 
hard  ice.  And  said  that  she  would  not  go,  and 
Gudrid  stayed  with  Aud;  Gisli  took  some  of 
the  men  with  him,  but  not  many.  He  found  a 
great  gathering  from  SeaboU  up  there:  thirty 
or  more  men  on  the  ice,  with  Thorgrim  con- 
spicuous in  a  red  cloak;  and  on  the  hillside  in 
the  sun  many  women  come  to  see  the  game.  He 
saw  Thordis  at  once,  with  the  sun  gleaming 
in  her  hair,  and  beside  her  was  Asgerd.  He 
did  not  go  over  to  greet  her,  but  made  directly 
for  the  men  banded  on  the  ice,  and  was  received 
with  acclamations.  Thorgrim  came  to  him 
with  his  hand  out.  ^'We  are  glad  to  see  you 
here.  We  all  know  that  you  are  a  champion 
who  may  cause  some  of  us  to  smart  for  it — but 
it  is  more  honour  to  have  a  fall  from  you  than 
give  one  to  a  meaner  man." 

Gisli  made  no  reply  save,  **I  am  ready  for 
you.'' 

Since  he  had  brought  so  few  with  him  it  was 
thought  unfair  to  match  Holl  against  Seaboll; 
and  after  much  loud  talk  it  was  settled  that 


CONVICTION  135 

Gisli  and  Thorgrim  should  choose  the  sides. 
Directly  that  was  agreed  all  men  drew  apart 
and  left  those  two  in  the  midst  of  a  ring.  Gisli 
then  saw  his  foster-child  Geirmund  slip  through 
the  press  of  men  and  range  himself  on  his  own 
Slide.  That  pleased  him,  and  although  Geir- 
mund was  of  little  account  in  such  a  great  game 
as  this,  yet  he  chose  him  one  of  the  first.  Thor- 
kel  was  chosen  by  Thorgrim  and  excused  him- 
self to  Gisli.  *^You  see  how  it  is.  He  thinks 
he  needs  all  the  strength  he  can  have  against 
such  a  player  as  you.  But  I  hope  you  will  win 
the  bout,  and  don't  care  who  knows  it.'' 

**A  game  is  only  a  game,"  said  Gisli.  **It 
is  nothing  to  me  to  win  or  lose." 

**Put  out  your  strength  and  you  will  win  it," 
Thorkel  said.  *'I  tell  you  Thorgrim  means  to 
best  you  if  he  can." 

**We  will  see  about  it,"  said  Gisli.  The 
sides  lined  up ;  the  ball  lay  in  the  midst.  Gisli 
and  Thorgrim  were  to  battle  over  it.  In  this 
game  you  started  the  ball  with  your  bat,  and 
when  once  set  going  you  could  forward  it  as 
you  would  or  could  with  the  bat,  with  the  foot, 


13e  THE  OUTLAW 

by  throwing  or  by  miming  with  it  in  your  arm. 
So  far  it  was  like  our  hockey  and  football ;  but 
it  had  this  great  difference,  that  a  man  could 
hold  another  to  prevent  his  getting  at  the  ball; 
or  he  could  throw  him  if  he  would.  It  was  a 
fierce  game,  in  times  when  bodily  hurt  counted 
for  little  beside  hot  blood. 

Thorgrim  was  very  strong,  but  he  was  heavy 
and  slow;  Gisli  was  light  and  lithe  as  well  as 
strong.  His  body  was  in  constant  work,  he  was 
temperate  and  cool-headed.  The  only  thing  in 
which  he  could  be  called  slow  was  in  his  pas- 
sion.   He  was  not  easy  to  rouse. 

The  temper  of  the  two  men  came  out  clearly 
in  the  opening  battle.  Thorgrim  wasted  him- 
self on  the  effort  to  break  down  Gisli 's  attack. 
He  put  all  he  had  into  his  own.  Gisli,  not  at 
all  serious,  amused  himself  by  playing  with 
him.  After  a  time  of  thrust  and  parry,  in  which 
Thorgrim  could  not  once  get  near  the  ball,  Gisli 
worked  it  between  his  legs,  slipped  round  be- 
hind him  and  drove  it  far  into  the  enemy  ranks. 
Thorgrim  turned  to  go  after  him,  and  with  his 
shoulder  would  have  charged  him  over.    Gisli 


CONVICTION  137 

saw  him  coining,  and  at  the  right  moment  darted 
forward.  Thorgrim  fell  heavily,  and  was  slow 
to  rise.  Gisli  went  back  at  once  to  help  him 
up — but  Thorgrim  would  not  have  any  help. 
However  the  game  swayed  after  this  it  was  no- 
ticeable that  his  greatest  efforts  were  directed 
against  Gisli. 

The  first  half  of  the  game  was  declared  for 
Gisli 's  party  by  three  goals,  and  he  began  the 
second  part  by  a  clear  advantage.  Gisli  drove 
the  ball  through  and  followed  up  his  hit-off  by 
a  charge  in  whrch  he  was  well  backed  by  his  side. 
After  that  in  the  fortunes  of  the  day  a  man  of 
Thorgrim 's  side  got  the  ball  and  threw  it  to  his 
chief.  Thorgrim  ran  with  it,  and  ran  well,  but 
Gisli  bore  down  upon  him  like  the  wind,  caught 
and  threw  him.  The  ball  left  his  arms  and 
flitted  away  over  the  ice ;  Gisli  would  have  run 
for  it,  but  Thorgrim  caught  him  round  the  body 
and  held  him.  They  wrestled  together;  and 
now  the  heat  latent  in  Gisli  caught  fire  from  his 
adversary,  and  they  wrestled  in  grim  earnest. 
For  a  time  they  swayed  or  rocked  in  conflict; 
but  Gisli 's  hold  went  lower  and  lower  until  he 


138  THE  OUTLAW 

felt  the  leverage  he  wanted.  All  of  a  sudden 
then  he  constricted  his  arms  and,  lifting  Thor- 
grim  over  his  shoulder,  pitched  him  head-first 
into  the  ice.  For  a  while  he  lay  there  as  if  he 
were  stunned,  and  many  of  the  players  gathered 
about  him.  Gisli  also  stood  and  watched. 
Then  Thorgrim  rose  to  his  knees,  white  with 
rage,  and  red  with  blood  from  a  wound  in  his 
forehead.  His  hands  were  cut  too,  and  both 
bleeding.  He  shook  the  blood  out  of  his  eyes 
and  peered  at  Gisli.  Rage  vibrated  in  his  tones. 
*^You  can  play  games,  and  throw  with  the  best,'' 
he  said ;  *  ^  I  '11  not  deny  it.  But  I  see  down  there 
the  prize  I  strove  for,  and  it  was  well  worth 
a  fall." 

Gisli  saw  the  direction  of  his  blood-smeared 
eyes,  and  turned  to  look  at  the  barrow  of  Ves- 
tan  dark  upon  the  hillside  in  the  growing  dusk. 
**I  see  what  you  see,  Thorgrim,"  he  said.  **It 
will  be  long  before  I  see  anything  else."  With 
that  his  spirit  caught  hold  of  his  body  and  drove 
it  to  savagery.  He  stooped  to  the  ball,  picked 
it  up  and  flung  it  at  Thorgrim.  It  hit  him  full 
in  the  face.    Down  he  went  again  on  his  back. 


CONVICTION  139 

Then  Gisli  turned  to  Thorkel.  **  Brother,  shall 
we  finish  the  game  ? ' ' 

''My  head/'  said  Thorkel,  ''you  have  finished 
it  indeed." 

"Not  yet,'' said  Gisli. 


XIII 

GRAYFLANKS  GOES   HOME 

FOE  the  full  circle  of  another  year  Gisli 
hid  his  conviction  in  his  heart  and  did 
nothing.  And,  watchful,  left  him  alone.  The 
melting  of  snow,  the  spring  sowing,  lambing, 
hay-time,  corn-harvest  went  round  again. 
Thorgrim,  who  had  ridden  the  hill-ways  armed 
and  attended,  now  became  more  careless  how 
he  went.  Thorkel  in  soft  raiment  still  sunned 
himself  in  front  of  Seaboll,  or  walked  the  water- 
side at  Thingere  and  gossiped  with  them  who 
worked  there.  Thordis  at  the  end  of  that  sum- 
mer knew  herself  with  child.  Asgerd,  who  had 
grown  thin  and  was  pinched  in  the  face,  never- 
theless had  forgotten  her  sorrow.  She  had 
no  child,  and  consoled  herself  by  saying  that  she 
was  no  worse  off  than  Aud.  If  driven  into  a 
corner  by  Thordis,  she  would  grow  snappish, 
and  say  that  the  Sours  were  a  barren  stock. 

140 


GEAYFLANKS  GOES  HOME        141 

**See  Aud  with  no  child,  see  me.  There  is  a 
curse  upon  your  house,  I  do  believe/'  Thor- 
dis  cared  nothing  for  that  now  that  the  child 
within  her  had  quickened.  She  laughed  richly 
and  hugged  herself.  So  the  sun  went  round 
again,  and  after  harvest  the  nights  begain  to 
encroach  upon  the  light;  the  heavy  mists 
drooped  over  the  mountain-tops  and  stayed 
there  all  day ;  by  and  by  the  wind  began  to  moan 
in  the  valley  and  drive  the  leaves  out ;  it  turned 
cold  o'  nights;  one  morning  you  saw  the  hills 
clear  of  fog,  and  the  first  powder  of  snow  upon 
them.  All  was  made  ready  at  HoU,  and  Gisli 
said  that  they  must  think  about  the  winter  feast 
— for  in  those  days  the  first  and  the  last  of  win- 
ter were  celebrated  with  sacrifice  and  feast  in 
honour  of  Frey. 

However,  any  feasting  which  might  be  done  at 
HoU  was  likely  to  be  outdone  at  Seaboll,  where 
Thorgrim,  who  was  Frey's  priest,  would  be 
sure  to  make  a  gathering  of  men  from  afar. 
His  chief  estate  lay  at  Thorsness,  many  valleys 
south  of  Hawkdale,  where  his  brother  Bork  Fat 
saw  to  the  management  and  had  his  two  sons 


142  THE  OUTLAW 

in  fostership.  Thereabouts  also  Eyjolf,  Ms 
kinsman,  lived  and  was  a  great  man.  These  two 
with  their  clansmen  would  come,  and  Thorgrim 
Bottlenose,  the  Wizard  and  man  of  mischief, 
and  many  more.  There  had  been  for  the  year 
long  no  intercourse  to  speak  about  between  HoU 
and  Seaboll.  Gisli  had  never  been  into  Thor- 
grim's  house,  but  he  had  met  Thorkel  on  the 
waterside  now  and  then,  and  had  behaved  to 
him  as  he  had  always  done.  Asgerd  and  Aud 
had  met  also  at  the  house  of  Thorkel  of  Al- 
vidra,  at  a  wedding,  and  Asgerd  had  cried  as 
she  had  been  kissed  by  Aud.  She  had  asked 
Aud  to  kiss  her,  who  otherwise  would  not. 
Then  Geirmund,  who  was  a  fine  lad  of  sixteen, 
dark  and  shapely,  had  come  up  at  whiles  to 
see  his  sister  Gudrid — but  that  was  all  the  com- 
merce. Just  before  the  winter  began  Gisli  met 
Thorkel,  and  heard  that  there  was  to  be  a  feast 
at  Seaboll,  with  sixty  guests  there.  *'The 
house  will  be  full,  and  every  man  of  us  drunk 
for  three  days  or  four,'^  he  said,  and  Gisli  be- 
lieved it. 

Shortly  after  that  Geirmund  came  to  Holl  and 


GEAYFLANKS  GOES  HOME       143 

asked  for  Gisli.  He  generally  went  round  the 
house  to  the  women's  side  and  looked  about  for 
Gudrid,  who  took  him  into  the  bower;  but  this 
time  he  asked  for  Gisli,  who  overheard  him  and 
called  him  in. 

He  came  up  the  hall  slowly  and  stood  there 
watching  Gisli  at  work  upon  a  pair  of  snow- 
shoes.  After  a  while,  seeing  he  said  nothing  of 
his  errand,  Gisli  asked  him  about  it.  *  ^  Tell  me 
what  calls  you  here,''  he  said. 

Geirmund  coloured  up  finely  and  did  not  know 
how  to  begin.  ** Speak  out,  man,"  says  Gisli; 
^*no  one  will  hurt  you  here." 

**Nay,  it's  not  so  at  all,"  the  boy  said;  ^^but 
the  errand  mislikes  me." 

Gisli  left  off  his  work  and  sat  on  the  table. 
'*Now  you  must  tell  it." 

So  Geirmund  had  to  tell  his  story.  He  said 
that  they  were  all  busy  at  Seaboll  making  the 
house  ready  for  the  guests  who  were  to  come 
at  nightfall.  The  floors  were  bestrewn  with 
rush,  and  they  were  hanging  the  hall.  Thordis 
had  said  how  well  those  rich  hangings  which 
Vestan  had  offered  would  look;  and  Thorgrim 


144  THE  OUTLAW 

thought  of  it,  and  then  asked  Thorkel  to  send 
and  borrow  them.  Thorkel  said  he  would  not. 
**It  would  only  be  for  a  day  or  two/'  Thor- 
grim  said,  but  he  would  not  hear  of  it. 

Then  Thorgrim  said,  **Well,  I  will  send  for 
them — we  can  but  try,''  and  **he  called  me  up," 
said  Geirmund,  *^and  told  me  to  go  over  here 
and  fetch  them.  I  said,  ^I  have  other  things 
to  do — and  I  don't  care  to  ask  Gisli  such  a 
thing';  and  that  made  Thorgrim  angry.  He 
cuffed  me  across  the  chops,  and  said,  *  Go  then 
with  that  to  the  good.'  I  said,  *If  I  must,  I 
must,  but  that  shall  come  back  again  if  I  have 
my  way.'  So  much  I  said  to  him,  and  then  I 
went." 

Gisli  looked  over  at  Aud,  who  was  at  the  win- 
dow. **What  do  you  say?  Will  you  let  the 
things  go?" 

She  did  not  turn  her  head.  **I  would  give 
them  nothing  but  their  deserts,"  she  said.  *^It 
is  no  use  asking  me  about  it. ' '  Then  he  asked 
Geirmund,  *^Does  Thorkel  wish  for  them,  think 
you?" 


GEAYFLANKS  GOES  HOME       145 

Geirmund  said,  '*He  was  ashamed  to  ask  you, 
and  so  was  Thordis.  But  they  both  want  them, 
I  know. ' ' 

''That  is  enough,''  Gisli  said.  ''The  things 
shall  go.''  He  folded  them  up  then  and  there, 
wrapped  them  in  a  cloth,  and  put  the  bale  over 
Geirmund 's  shoulder,  saying,  "I  will  walk  with 
you  a  part  of  the  way." 

He  walked  with  him  to  the  very  gate  of  the 
Seaboll  garth,  and  stopping  there,  he  said, 
"Now,  Geirmund,  I  have  done  you  a  good  turn, 
and  may  do  you  a  many  more.  But  now  you 
shall  do  me  a  good  turn,  for  they  say  that  one 
hand  washes  another.  What  I  ask  of  you  is 
to  push  back  the  bolts  of  the  doors  tonight.  By 
that  means  the  cuff  on  the  head  you  had  may 
come  home." 

Geirmund 's  eyes  blinked  as  he  looked  over 
the  country.  Then  he  looked  Gisli  straight  in 
the  face  and  asked  him,  "Will  that  bring  harm 
toThorkeir' 

"It  will  not,"  said  Gisli. 

"It  shall  be  done,"  he  said. 


146  THE  OUTLAW 

Snow  began  to  fall  at  dusk,  just  as  the  guests 
came  in.  It  fell  in  soft,  thick,  idle  flakes,  with 
no  kind  to  carry  it,  but  without  ceasing.  At 
midnight,  when  the  household  went  to  bed,  Gisli 
looked  out  of  doors,  and  saw  a  uniform  surface 
of  white— nearly  a. feet  deep  in  the  garth;  and 
still  the' flakes  were  floating  down.  He  went 
back  into  the  house,  took  Grayflanks  the  spear 
out  of  the  chest  where  it  had  lain  since  he  threw 
it  there  all  shaggy  with  Vestan's  blood.  Look- 
ing at  the  blade,  he  saw  that  blood  still  there, 
black  and  hard,  like  dry  glue.  He  put  his  blue 
cloak  on,  hid  the  spear  in  it,  drew  the  hood  over 
his  head,  and  called  to  And  in  a  quiet,  plain 
voice.     She  came  out  to  him,  and  stared. 

**Are  you  going  out — nowT* 

**Yes,''  he  said.  *'I  must  look  to  Thorkel 
Eich's  horse.  I  forgot  his  fodder,  and  heard 
him  stamping  just  now.  Do  you  come  with  me 
and  lock  the  gate  after  me.  Then  watch  until  I 
come  back,  and  let  me  in  again.  I  shan't  be 
gone  long.'' 

She  looked  earnestly  at  him,  holding  a  lamp 
in  her  hand;  she  looked  for  some  time,  but  he 


GKAYFLANKS  GOES  HOME       147 

did  not  seem  to  notice.  **Are  you  ready  T'  he 
asked  her.  She  went  out  without  answering, 
and  came  back  with  a  cloak  over  her  head. 
*  *  Quite  ready  now. ' ' 

She  let  him  out  by  the  women's  door,  and  once 
more  he  said,  **Lock  after  me,  and  keep  a  good 
watch.  I  shan^t  be  long  gone.'*  Then  he  went 
down  the  snow-slope  towards  the  river,  and  she 
knew  that  he  was  not  for  foddering  horses. 
She  was  a  grave,  silent  woman  who  seldom  be- 
trayed either  joy  or  sorrow.  She  locked  the 
door,  blew  out  the  lamp,  and  sat  down,  folded 
in  her  cloak. 

Gisli  could  see  his  way  clearly,  but  had  to 
tread  carefully,  because  the  snow  had  hidden  the 
rocks  which  strewed  the  river-bank.  He  walked 
down-river  until  he  came  to  Seaboll,  then  turned 
up,  and  got  over  the  wall  of  the  barton  and  into 
the  byre  where  the  cows  were.  As  he  had  built 
the  house  himself  and  knew  every  turn  and  an- 
gle of  it,  he  could  go  straight  to  his  mark.  He 
found  the  small  door  which  led  from  the  byre 
into  the  storehouse — unbolted.    From  the  store- 


148  THE  OUTLAW 

house  he  passed  into  the  kitchen,  from  thence 
into  the  hall.  At  the  entry  he  stood  still,  listen- 
ing. 

Two  small  lamps  threw  a  local  light  and 
showed  dim  forms  stretched  in  sleep ;  he  heard 
heavy  breathing  on  all  sides ;  but  no  one  stirred. 
For  a  time  he  stood  where  he  was  in  deep  atten- 
tion; then,  having  studied  the  way  he  wished 
to  go,  he  put  his  hand  upon  the  nearest  lamp 
and  extinguished  it.  There  was  now  scarcely 
any  light  at  all,  and  he  was  about  to  move ;  but 
just  then  a  sleeper  turned,  and  he  waited.  He 
saw  an  arm  stretch  upward,  a  hand  feel  its  way 
up  the  lamp,  and  then,  as  the  flame  was  pinched 
out,  total  darkness.  He  moved  forward  with 
great  care,  but  not  very  slowly,  found  a  curtain 
and  passed  under  it,  found  a  bed  in  the  wall  and 
stood  beside  it.  The  occupants  of  it — for  there 
were  two — were  fast  asleep.  He  put  out  his 
hand  and  touched  the  nearest.  He  felt  a  warm 
and  soft  breast,  and  withdrew  his  hand  at  once. 
He  had  done  a  senseless  thing;  his  hand  was 
icy.    He  put  it  into  his  shirt  against  his  own 


GEAYFLANKS  GOES  HOME       149 

skin,  and  waited.  Thordis  stirred  and  said, 
*  *  What  do  you  want  ?  Do  you  want  me  f  ^  ^  But 
Thorgrim  still  breathed  heavily.  **I  thought 
you  touched  me,'^  Thordis  said,  but  no  more. 
Thorgrim  had  not  woken;  he  was  probably 
heavy  with  drink. 

When  his  hand  was  warm  Gisli  leaned  over 
the  bed  and  touched  Thorgrim  on  the  shoulder. 
Thorgrim  awoke  and  turned  towards  his  wife. 
Then  Gisli  with  the  same  hand  pulled  back  the 
bed-clothes.  With  the  other  he  drove  the  spear 
through  Thorgrim  ^s  chest  and  pinned  him  to  the 
bed.  Thorgrim  groaned  horribly — ^*0h,  you 
hurt,  you  hurt!''  he  said,  and  struggled  and 
groaned  again.  Thordis  shrieked — **He  is 
killed!  Wake  up!''  But  Gisli  was  in  the 
store-room  before  any  one  knew  what  was  said. 
They  were  all  drunk,  as  he  had  expected. 

Gisli  reached  home  by  the  way  he  had  come. 
It  was  still  snowing  steadily,  and  there  would  be 
no  footprints.  Aud  opened  for  him,  and  to- 
gether they  went  to  their  bed.    He  kicked  off 


150  THE  OUTLAW 

Ms  frozen  shoes,  took  off  his  cloak,  and  she  saw 
he  was  in  his  shirt  and  linen  drawers.  One 
look  between  them  told  her  all  she  wanted  to 
know. 


XIV 

AFTBETASTE 

THEEE  was  wild  confusion  in  the  dark  at 
Seaboll,  but  Geirmund  had  been  able  to 
bolt  the  doors  before  the  light  came.  It  had 
been  he  who  extinguished  one  of  them  when 
Gisli  was  in  the  hall.  Awakened  out  of  drunken 
stupor,  trampled  or  trampling  in  the  crowded 
hall,  men  did  foolish  and  even  horrible  things, 
while  Thordis  held  on  to  the  spear  and  shrieked 
or  laughed  insanely. 

But  as  soon  as  there  was  a  light  to  see  by,  and 
Thorkel  had  seen  the  dead  man,  he  knew  the 
spear.  He  had  his  wits  about  him,  while  per- 
haps no  other  man  there  had,  unless  you  reckon 
Geirmund  as  a  man.  Quick  as  thought  he  had 
wrenched  it  out  of  the  body,  and  then,  when 
Thordis  was  lying  across  her  dead  husband,  he 
had  secreted  the  thing,  being  afraid  lest  Bot- 
tlenose  should  see  and  know  it,  and  make  fur- 
ther mischief. 

151 


152  THE  OUTLAW 

The  belief  got  about  that  the  murderer  was 
in  the  house,  and  men  looked  scared  at  each 
other.  The  thought  sobered  them  quicker  than 
anything  else  could  have  done.  The  possibility 
of  being  suspected  made  every  man  guarded  in 
what  he  said  or  did. 

Bork,  a  brother  of  the  dead,  took  the  lead  in 
everything.  He  was  a  fat,  red-headed  man  with 
small  blue  eyes  in  a  broad  and  freckled  face. 
Known  to  be  rich,  it  was  plain  that  he  intended 
to  be  the  richer  for  the  loss  of  the  head  of  his 
family.  In  the  judgment  of  more  than  one  in 
the  house  he  had  already  looked  appetently  at 
Thordis.  Bottlenose  thought  so.  **Our  neigh- 
bour will  console  the  widow  and  himself  at  a 
stroke,  you  will  see,''  It  might  be  so,  but  Thor- 
grim  had  left  his  mark  behind  him. 

It  was  Bottlenose  who  was  the  first  to  say 
that  the  news  must  go  up  to  Holl.  Eyolf,  who 
was  near  of  kin  to  the  dead — a  lean  and  grey 
man  with  a  wintry  smile — said  that  he  would 
go  with  him.  **And  we  must  go  well-accom- 
panied, moreover,  less  they  should  think  up 
there  that  all  the  power  of  our  house  is  thrown 


AFTERTASTE  153 

down  with  our  kinsman/^  They  went  up  the 
valley  a  company  of  thirty  spears,  and  Thord 
Faintheart  saw  them  coming  and  pelted  home 
scared  to  death.  GisK  and  And  were  still  in 
bed  when  he  came  in  out  of  breath  and  told 
them  what  was  afoot.  *VMaster,  a  force  of 
armed  men  in  the  valley!  And  they  report 
bad  news.'* 

Gisli  heard  him  calmly.  **Let  me  rest  for 
once  in  my  life,''  he  said.  He  heard  hoofs 
thudding  in  the  snow  even  as  he  turned  to  sleep 
again.  And  could  not  pretend  to  sleep;  but 
she  followed  her  husband's  example  as  best  she 
could,  and  lay  still,  with  very  wide-open  eyes. 

Thorkel  and  Eyolf  came  into  the  hall  and 
Thorkel  himself  came  through  to  the  end  in  the 
wall.  The  first  thing  he  saw  was  a  pair  of 
shoes,  snow-encrusted,  lying  beside  the  bed. 
He  turned  red  in  the  face,  and  pushed  them  out 
of  sight  underneath.  By  that  time  Gisli  pre- 
tended to  awaken,  to  turn  and  recognize  Thor- 
kel. 

'^Brother,  good  morning.  What  news  brings 
you  here?" 


154  THE  OUTLAW 

''The  worst/*  said  Thorkel.  ''Our  kinsman 
Thorgrim  has  been  slain  in  his  bed.'' 

Gisli  sat  up  and  looked  at  him. 

"He  has  not  been  long  following  Vestan,"  he 
said. 

And  sat  up  in  bed.  Her  hair  was  about  her 
face  and  shoulders.  Her  eyes  were  tragic. 
Thorkel  thought  he  saw  fear  in  them,  and  an 
asking  for  pity. 

"He  is  a  heavy  loss  to  us,  which  will  be  felt 
all  over  the  country.  We  may  be  sure  that  his 
death  will  be  avenged.''  Then  he  waited  for 
Gisli  to  say  something,  but  as  he  said  nothing 
at  all,  he  went  on.  ' '  His  kinsman  Eyolf  is  here 
with  us.    Would  you  wish  to  see  him?" 

"Why  should  I  wish  to  see  him?"  said  Gisli. 
"I  will  get  up  and  make  myself  ready,  and 
then  I  mil  go  down  to  Seaboll.  It  is  only  right 
that  Thorgrim  should  have  honourable  burial. 
I  will  do  my  part  of  that,  just  as  he  came  hither 
to  see  me  honour  my  own  dead.  If  you  wait 
for  me  now  I  will  go  up  with  you." 

"I  will  wait,"  said  Thorkel,  and  went  back 
to   the   hall  where   Eyolf  was   smiling   away 


AFTERTASTE  155 

bleakly  to  himself.  As  lie  smiled  Ms  pale  eyes 
were  for  ever  on  the  search.  Guests  at  HoU 
came  blinking  from  their  beds  and  gathered 
about  the  two  armed  visitors.  It  is  hard  to 
say  how  ill  news  is  known:  it  is  felt  in  the  air 
rather  than  learned  by  word  of  mouth.  To  one 
sensitive  of  bloodshed,  the  heavy  silence,  the 
constraint,  the  breathless  air  of  the  chill  morn- 
ing in  the  hall  were  eloquent  tongues.  Pres- 
ently the  grave  Aud  came  out  of  her  chamber, 
and  served  the  visitors  with  horns  of  warm 
drink.    By  now  the  peat  fire  was  alight. 

Thorkel  went  to  the  hearth  and  warmed  him- 
self. Cold  and  excitement  had  set  his  teeth 
chattering.  He  wished  to  speak  to  Aud,  but 
was  afraid  to  show  himself  to  her  as  he  was. 
Eyolf,  however,  had  something  to  say.  He 
looked  at  Aud  over  the  rim  of  his  horn,  after 
he  had  blown  a  half-circle  into  the  froth.  Even 
when  his  mouth  was  hidden  in  a  horn  you  could 
see  that  he  still  smiled  by  the  furrows  in  his 
cheeks. 

** Mistress,''  he  said,  *^ that's  a  true  saying 
that  ill  work  breeds." 


156  THE  OUTLAW 

Aud  did  not  avoid  his  eyes.  ^*It  is  as  true," 
she  said,  ^*as  that  good  work  breeds.'' 

'*And  how  do  yon  look  npon  last  night's 
work?"  There  was  knowledge  to  be  seen  in 
the  man's  eyes  and  chilly  grin,  but  she  did  not 
seem  to  recognize  it.  **It  may  be  that  the  dead 
man  knows  most  about  that,"  she  said;  **and 
the  dead  man's  wife  may  know  something." 

Then  Eyolf  took  a  long  pull  at  his  horn. 
**Ah,"  he  said,  when  he  had  sucked  his  mous- 
taches clean,  **ah,  and  what  Thordis  does  not 
know  she  will  find  out.    Be  sure  of  it." 

Aud  said,  **So  would  I  do  in  her  place;  and 
when  I  had  found  out  I  should  keep  it  to  my- 
self." 

Gisli  came  up  to  them  cloaked  and  shod  with 
high  boots.  He  looked  from  one  to  the  other, 
then  missed  his  brother  and  searched  for  him. 
He  saw  him  facing  the  fire,  his  hands  held  out, 
and  went  down  the  hall  to  him.  **I  am  ready, 
brother." 

Thorkel  showed  the  whites  of  his  eyes.  He 
was  too  much  affected  to  speak  at  first;  and 
when  he  did  speak  his  voice  was  hoarse.    **Are 


AFTERTASTE  157 

you  indeed  coming  with  us?  Are  you  for  put- 
ting your  head  into  the  wolf's  den!'* 

**I  shall  see  my  sister,"  Gisli  said,  but  Thor- 
kel  burst  out  in  an  eager  whisper. 

^'You  have  none.  You  will  see  a  woman  be- 
side herself.'' 

*^ If  I  do,"  said  Gisli,  '^I  shall  see  what  I  did 
not  see  when  Aud's  brother  Vestan  lay  here 
stabbed  to  death."  Thorkel  looked  wildly  into 
the  fire ;  his  forehead  was  drawn  up  in  wrinkles ; 
his  eyes  seemed  staring  out  of  their  sockets. 

*^ Different  natures — what  is  that  to  the  pur- 
pose? But  the  spear  has  come  back — -and  she 
knows  it." 

**Does  she  know  who  brought  the  spear 
here?"  Gisli  asked  him.  **If  she  knows  that, 
she  knows  all.  Come,  be  a  man,  and  let  us  be 
off." 

They  went  out,  a  silent  three  from  a  silent 
company,  and  took  the  way  of  SeaboU.  There 
was  a  track  in  the  snow  of  many  feet,  but  all 
setting  toward  Holl.  The  snow  had  fallen  af- 
ter Gisli 's  homefare,  and  covered  his  tracks  of 
going  and  returning. 


158  THE  OUTLAW 

When  they  came  into  the  hall  at  SeaboU  they 
found  Thorgrim  laid  on  a  trestle  bier,  armed 
and  in  his  red  cloak.  Asgerd  crouched  at  his 
feet,  Thordis  stood  at  his  head.  She  was  very 
pale,  with  a  burning  patch  on  each  cheek.  She 
turned  to  Gisli  the  face  of  a  foe.  The  hall 
was  full  of  men,  and  all  were  armed. 

Gisli  went  up  to  the  bier  and  looked  unmoved 
upon  the  dead  man's  face.  *^A  great  chieftain 
lies  there,"  he  said,  ^*and  it  is  ill  to  see.  I  am 
come,  sister,"  he  said,  and  turned  to  the  fierce 
woman,  *^to  say  to  you  that  I  grieve  for  you, 
as  I  daresay  you  grieved  for  me  in  my  affliction. 
What  your  man  did  for  my  dead  I  will  do  for 
yours.  You  will  raise  a  barrow  over  him  in  his 
ship,  and  I  will  help  you  with  all  I  have.  So 
he  did  to  Vestan,  so  I  will  do  to  him." 

Thordis  said,  **Do  you  dare  come  here  to 
say  so  ? " 

Gisli  said,  **I  have  never  been  afraid  to  do 
right." 

'*If  I  were  a  man  those  would  be  your  last 
words,"  said  Thordis,  and  looked  meaningly 
and  directly  to  her  armed  guests. 


AFTERTASTE  159 

But  she  looked  in  vain ;  none  of  them  stirred. 

**If  you  were  a  man,  Thordis,''  Gisli  said, 
**you  would  not  talk  like  that.  There  is  no 
man  here  would  touch  me  unarmed/' 

Thorkel  said  at  once,  *^No,  no.  Thordis  is 
talking  wildly.  Nevertheless,  brother,  you  had 
best  leave  us  just  now.  When  the  burying  is 
to  be  you  shall  be  forewarned.  We  are  obliged 
to  you  for  your  proffer  of  service.  A  great 
man  lies  there,  the  priest  of  Frey,  and  a  man 
not  likely  to  be  deserted  by  his  friends.  Never- 
theless we  shall  be  glad  to  see  you  when  the 
time  comes.'' 

Gisli  nodded  his  head,  and  turned  away. 
Nobody  moved  to  follow  him,  and  Thordis  took 
the  hint. 

He  went  home  to  his  guests,  but  avoided  them 
and  called  Aud  to  him.  She  followed  him  into 
their  chamber.  He  took  her  hand  and  made  her 
sit  on  the  bed  beside  him.  **  Heavy  trouble  is 
about  us,"  he  said.  '*I  did  what  was  right; 
there  was  no  way  out  of  it — but  Thordis  means 
my  death." 

Aud's  grey  eyes  were  heavy  with  care.    **Be- 


160  THE  OUTLAW 

tween  us  we  may  avoid  it/'  she  said.  ** No- 
body knows  that  you  did  it. ' ' 

^*She  knows,"  said  Gisli,  *  though  not  cer- 
tainly. She  will  ask  me  straight,  and  I  shall 
not  deny  it." 

*'How  should  you?"  Aud  said,  **or  why 
should  you?  He  killed  my  brother,  and  your 
blood-kinsman.    What  else  should  he  have?" 

iGrisli  said,  *^I  am  sick  of  such  deeds.  Have 
we  men  no  better  things  to  do?  Is  not  the 
whole  earth  ours?  Have  we  nothing  to  do  in 
it?" 

Aud  said,  *'If  it  pleases  you,  we  will  go  away 
from  here.  We  will  take  Gudrid  with  us  and 
begone." 

*' There  is  no  escape  from  fate,  my  love,"  said 
Gisli.  '*I  won't  go  away  if  I  can  help  it,  but 
will  do  what  should  have  been  done  before — sue 
Thorgrim's  folk  at  the  Thing  for  Vestan's  slay- 
ing, and  set  off  the  one  death  against  the  other." 

''You  must  do  that  at  once,"  said  Aud,  but 
he  told  her.  No. 

*'I  have  said  that  I  will  be  at  the  burial,  and 


AFTERTASTE  161 

so  I  will.  They  will  think  I  fear  them,  and  I 
won't  have  that.'' 

Aud  stared  at  the  fire.  **You  must  do  as 
yon  think  right.  You  have  always  done  that, 
and  I  shall  never  stand  in  your  way." 

He  kissed  her  for  a  true  woman. 


XV 

PASSION   OF   THORDIS 

BOKK,  the  brother  of  Thorgrim,  was  called 
the  Fat,  and  with  justice ;  but  a  man  may- 
be fat  and  yet  have  a  high  mind.  The  Cod- 
biter's  sons  had  always  held  themselves  of  good 
account,  for  they  had  been  great  people  in 
Thorsness,  with  the  Priesthood  in  the  family, 
and  a  large  clan  owning  them  for  chieftains. 
He  had  made  up  his  mind  before  the  burial  to 
two  things,  but  wanted  one  much  more  than  the 
other.  One  was  to  avenge  his  brother's  death. 
He  knew  that  he  must  do  it.  The  whole  clan 
would  look  to  him  for  it,  since  until  Thor- 
grim's  son  Stein  was  come  to  manhood,  the 
chieftainship  and  the  Priesthood  were  both 
vested  in  him.  He  knew  he  must  do  it,  but  at 
the  same  time  he  knew  it  would  be  a  trouble- 
some and  a  long  business.  He  talked  to  Eyolf 
about  it.  **If  this  man  here,  Thorkel,  were  any- 
thing more  than  a  pet  calf  it  would  be  easy," 

162 


PASSION  OF  THORDIS  163 

he  said.  **  Suppose  lie  had  the  spirit  of  his 
sister  the  widow — it  would  be  done  at  the 
burial. ' ' 

**It  would  have  been  done  this  morning,"  said 
Eyolf,  **when  he  was  there  in  the  midst  of  us." 

'*Yes,  yes,  I  know  that,"  said  Bork;  **but 
that  would  have  had  a  bad  appearance — for  we 
weren^t  sure  that  he  was  the  man." 

*'Are  we  sure  now?" 

'*Not  yet;  but  we  shall  be  when  we  are  at 
the  howe-side.  Thordis  will  ask  him.  He  is 
not  the  man  to  deny  it." 

*'Well,"  said  Eyolf,  ''and  say  that  he  owns 
to  it — will  you  slay  him  then  and  there  I '  * 

''No,"  said  Bork,  "that  is  not  my  plan.  My 
plan  is  to  wait  until  the  Thorsness  Thing  and 
get  him  made  outlaw." 

' '  Will  that  suit  the  widow  ? ' ' 

"I  hope,"  said  Bork,  "that  she  won't  be  a 
widow  by  that  time." 

That  was  his  second  determination.  He  was 
in  love  with  Thordis,  and  had  been  so  for  many 
a  day.  He  saw  his  way  to  a  handsome  wife 
and  a  fat  inheritance,  or  at  least  the  handling 


164  THE  OUTLAW 

of  it,  for  he  knew  that  Thordis  was  with  child 
by  his  dead  brother.  Certainly,  he  wasn't  sure 
that  she  would  have  him ;  but  he  hoped  to  work 
upon  her  feelings  by  promising  requital  for  the 
slaughter,  and  judged  she  would  go  far  to  be 
sure  of  that. 

**Now,  Eyolf,''  he  said,  *^I  count  upon  you 
to  help  me  in  this  affair.  If  Gisli  is  the  man  I 
believe  him  to  be  we  must  go  slowly  to  work, 
or  he  will  outwit  us.  I  know  he  passes  for  a 
slow-minded  man;  but  let  me  tell  you  that  no 
man  is  so  handy  at  all  manner  of  work  as  Gisli 
is  without  also  being  a  man  of  shrewd  mind. 
Now  the  first  thing  he  will  do  will  be  to  de- 
nounce the  slayer  of  Vestan,  you  will  see.  We 
must  so  manage  it  that  we  have  him  outlawed 
before  he  can  come  at  that.'' 

*^You  can  do  that,"  Eyolf  said.  ''At  Thors- 
ness  you  have  the  Thing  in  your  hollow  hand. 
I  advise  you  to  get  Bottlenose  to  work.  Let 
his  magic  forbid  houseroom  to  the  man,  and  we 
are  bound  to  run  him  down  if  he  take  to  the 
woods.  He  too  will  leave  a  handsome  widow 
behind  him.    I  like  those  dark,  proud,  quiet 


PASSION  OF  THOEDIS  165 

women  myself.  They  bank  their  fires  and  last 
the  longer.'^ 

**Ha,'*  said  Bork.  **6ive  me  a  roaring 
blaze.'' 

They  took  Bottlenose  apart  and  talked  to  him 
a  long  time.  He  made  a  fuss,  said  that  the 
dooms  they  wanted  of  him  would  be  dangerous 
and  costly.  He  must  have  so  much  and  so 
much,  or  he  would  not  touch  it — and  so  on. 
Bork  bled  freely  to  get  his  way,  and  Bottlenose 
went  to  work.  He  gathered  all  the  herbs  and 
roots  needful,  built  up  a  great  fire,  put  on  his 
cauldron,  made  an  altar  and  a  high  seat  and 
moved  round  it,  muttering  spells  and  devilries. 
He  made  a  great  stench  on  the  fellside,  but  said 
it  was  all  accomplished.  **No  man,"  he  said, 
**will  house  the  slayer  more  than  once,  and  very 
few  so  much  as  once." 

They  said,  **Will  he  be  slain  on  land  or  in 
the  water r'    He  said,  '*0n  land." 

They  asked,  **Will  there  be  any  man  beside 
him  when  he  fall?"  He  said,  ^^ There  will 
not." 

They  asked,  ^^Will  he  make  a  great  defence?" 


166  THE  OUTLAW 

He  said,  *^He  will — and  it  will  be  a  long  one — 
and  many  will  be  sorry  that  the  thing  was  ever 
set  on  foot/^ 

They  asked,  **Who  will  be  sorry  T*  He  said, 
**Why,  I  shall  be  sorry — and  that  first  of  all/' 

The  burial  was  next  day,  and  Gisli  went  to 
it  with  all  the  guests  in  his  house,  who  made 
a  good  appearance,  though  nothing  near  so 
numerous  as  the  company  that  came  from  Sea- 
boll.  None  of  the  women  came.  Thorgrim 
was  laid  in  his  boat  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  and 
the  ground  heaped  round  him  as  the  manner 
was.  Hell-shoes  were  on  his  feet,  not  of  Gisli 's 
tying ;  but  Gisli  remembered  how  the  dead  man 
bad  bound  them  on  Vestan's  feet,  and  grew 
excited  as  he  thought  of  it.  What  he  did  was 
very  unlike  him — and  yet  he  did  it.  When  the 
earth  was  breast-high  round  the  ship  he  went 
down  to  the  river  below  and  picked  out  a  great 
rock  from  the  bed.  With  that  on  his  shoulder 
he  climbed  the  hill,  climbed  the  mounded  earth 
and  stood  atop  of  it,  looking  down  upon  the 
dead.    All  men  stayed  in  their  shovelling  to 


PASSION  OF  THORDIS  167 

stare  at  him.  **Now  hold  off  your  work,  all  of 
you/'  he  said,  ** while  I  make  fast  that  ship 
with  a  mooring-stone.'^  So  said,  he  lifted  the 
rock  from  his  shoulder  and  swung  it  up  over 
his  head.  Down  it  fell  with  a  crash  into  the 
hold  of  the  ship,  and  men  felt  the  earth  shake 
under  them.  **Tell  me  that  I  know  nothing  of 
mooring  a  ship,  if  any  weather  stir  that  stone,'' 
he  said.  Then  he  turned  away  and  came  down 
the  heaped  earth,  and  left  the  place,  none  car- 
ing to  stop  him. 

Bork  looked  at  Eyolf,  who  was  looking  at 
him.  He  pursed  his  lips  together,  and  nodded 
his  head.  Eyolf  nodded  his  head  too,  grinning 
playfully.  Thorkel,  who  was  scared,  and 
looked  it,  went  after  Gisli  and  overtook  him. 

*^ Brother,  be  careful  what  you  are  about," 
he  said.  ^*You  are  going  where  I  may  not  be 
able  to  help  you." 

**  Small  help  have  you  ever  given  me, 
brother,"  Gisli  said. 

**I  did  you  a  service  the  other  day,"  said 
Thorkel,  **when  I  came  to  Holl  with  the  news, 
and  found  you  in  bed." 


168  THE  OUTLAW 

*^ What  was  that?" 

*^At  the  foot  of  the  bed  was  a  pair  of  shoes 
srow-cnisted,  with  the  ice  half -melted  on  them. 
I  kicked  them  under  the  bed  before  Eyolf  came 
in.    And  one  other  service  I  did  you." 

'^Name  it." 

**It  was  I  who  took  the  spear  out  of  Thor- 
grim's  chest,  and  knew  it  again,  and  hid  it 
away.  Good  for  you,  maybe,  that  Thordis  did 
not  see  that." 

*'I  thank  you,"  said  Gisli.  ''Yet  it  was  true 
the  spear  went  home  to  who  forged  it." 

''Brother,"  said  Thorkel,  "upon  my  head 
that  was  not  I." 

"Nay,"  said  Gisli,  "I  don't  think  it.  Did 
I  not  say  that  it  went  home?" 

"I  can't  answer  you  that — I  can't  answer 
you.  But  I  beg  you  to  be  careful.  Our  sister 
Thordis  is  with  child.  Women,  you  know,  are 
not  easily  dealt  with  at  such  times." 

"I  have  no  dealings  with  women,"  Gisli  said 
shortly.    ' '  With  men  I  shall  know  how  to  deal. ' ' 

"Yet  in  this  matter,"  said  Thorkel,  "there 
will  be  one  woman  to  reckon  with." 


PASSION  OF  THOKDIS  169 

''Then/'  said  Gisli,  ** there  will  be  two." 

'*It  snowed  that  night,  and  next  day  a  great 
mairel  was  reported  at  Seaboll,  and  heard  of 
at  Holl,  too.  It  was  said  that  Thorgrim's  howe 
was  untouched  by  the  snow.  Frey,  they  de- 
clared, had  sheltered  his  priest. 

Gisli  said  he  should  go  out  there  to  see  this 
wonderful  thing,  and  Aud  went  along  with  him. 

It  was  true — as  had  been  reported — that  the 
great  mound  of  raw  earth  stood  up  dark  out  of 
the  white  field.  It  was  wet  and  smoking,  but 
no  snow  upon  it  anywhere.  Aud's  hold  tight- 
ened upon  Gisli  ^s  arm,  and  her  lips  muttered, 
''What  have  we  done?"  but  not  audibly. 

Gisli  did  not  hear,  or  did  not  answer  her; 
his  attention  was  occupied  elsewhere.  He  had 
seen  a  woman  kneeling  beside  the  mound,  and 
knew  her  for  Thordis.  He  had  seen  what  she 
was  at,  and  had  swerved  immediately  from  the 
straight  road  and  put  the  mound  between  Aud 
and  what  he  had  seen. 

But  Aud  could  not  be  concealed,  and  Thor- 
dis would  not.  She  came  round  the  barrow, 
her  face  crimson  and  sweaty,  her  eyes  haggard 


170  THE  OUTLAW 

and  wild.  They  saw  that  her  arms  were 
grimed  to  the  elbows  with  soil,  and  her  hands 
bleeding.  And  clung  to  Gisli  at  the  apparition ; 
he  stiffened  but  did  not  attempt  any  more  to 
avoid  his  sister. 

Thordis  was  beside  herself.  She  had  for- 
gotten her  grudge,  her  more  than  suspicion; 
she  could  think  only  of  the  smoking  mound. 

**You  see — he  lives,  he  lives.  His  heat 
breaks  through.  Help  me  now  to  have  him  out 
before  he  die.    To  work,  to  work!'* 

The  woman  raved,  and  ran  back  to  her  work ; 
fell  on  her  knees  and  scrabbled  at  the  earth  like 
a  dog.  Aud  was  moved  with  pity  and  went 
directly  to  her.  *^Come  away,  Thordis.  It  is 
not  so — you  are  mistaken.  It  cannot  be. 
Come  with  me — I  will  take  you  home.^'  She 
put  a  hand  on  her  shoulder. 

A  sudden  change  shook  Thordis,  who  stopped 
her  mad  work  and  looked  dreadfully  at  Aud. 
**You!^'  she  said.  ^'You,  who  are  at  the  root 
of  all  my  troubles  I  You  with  your  snug  love, 
who  got  and  gave  without  asking!  Go  away 
quickly,  you,  lest  I  do  you  harm.*^    She  stared 


PASSION  OF  THOEDIS  171 

about,  as  if  collecting  herself,  then  looked  at  the 
hole  she  had  made  in  the  mound  and  began  at  it 
afresh.  Now  Gisli  felt  that  he  must  do  some- 
thing. This  sight  outraged  him,  and  perhaps 
he  knew  not  what  he  said. 

*^ Sister,  give  over,  for  Thorgrim  is  dead.'' 

She  took  no  notice,  but  went  on  with  fury, 
panting  and  crying,  at  her  horrid  task. 

^^Give  over,  I  say.  The  man  is  dead.  The 
same  spear  which  slew  my  blood-brother  has 
slain  him.  I  know  where  it  went,  for  I  drove  it 
in.'' 

Then  Thordis  stayed  her  work  and  looked  at 
her  brother.  **It  was  your  icy  hand  I  felt  on 
my  breast?" 

Gisli  bowed  his  head.  Thordis  gave  over, 
and  stood  up.  **I  haven't  worked  for  nothing. 
I  know  what  I  wanted  to  know." 

Aud  pulled  Gisli  by  the  sleeve.  **Come 
away,"  she  said,  *'you  have  done  yourself  harm 
enough."  Thordis  put  her  hands  on  her  hips 
and  glared  at  Aud. 

**No,"  she  said,  **he  has  not  done  himself 
harm  enough.    He  has  left  some  for  me  to  do." 


172  THE  OUTLAW 

Then  she  looked  at  Gisli,  and  he  thought  he 
had  never  seen  hatred  in  any  eyes  before. 
*'From  the  beginning  you  have  measured  your- 
self with  me;  from  the  beginning  been  my 
enemy.  Look  to  the  end  now — for  there  can 
only  be  one  end.  You  thought  you  had  but  one 
enemy  left  when  you  slew  Thorgrim  like  a 
traitor  in  the  night.  You  were  wrong.  You 
had  two.*' 

She  touched  herself,  and  they  both  knew  what 
she  meant.  Aud  shrank  from  her  as  from  a 
demon,  and  Gisli  took  her  away  and  left  Thor- 
dis  standing  there. 


XVI 

DISCOVERIES 

THOEDIS  went  home  to  SeaboU  in  a  flame 
of  discovery;  she  found  Bork  sitting  by 
the  great  tire.  **Up  with  you,  Bork/'  she  said; 
'*I  have  it  from  the  man's  own  mouth  that  he 
slew  your  brother/' 

Bork  looked  long  at  her  without  speaking, 
then  beckoned  her  nearer,  and  made  her  sit  be- 
side him.  ** Softly  fares  the  best,''  he  said. 
*^We  have  many  things  to  settle  before  we  come 
to  that." 

**Why,  what  would  you  have?"  she  said. 

Then  Bork  said,  *^  There  will  be  your  brother 
Thorkel  to  speak  with.  And  we  must  think 
how  far  this  feud  will  be  carried  on — and  by 
whom.  Thorkel,  as  I  understand  him,  will 
never  work  in  the  open  against  his  brother 
Gisli.  And  supposing  that  he  did  so — do  you 
think  he  would  sit  here  overshadowed  by  such 

173 


174  THE  OUTLAW 

a  feud  as  Gisli's  wife's  folk  would  have  against 
him?  He  is  not  a  man  of  that  sort,  but  a  man 
of  peace  and  good-fellowship,  who  loves  to 
stand  well  with  his  neighbours.  And  next  I 
come  to  myself.  Well,  I  will  be  frank  with 
you.  I  belong  to  another  country,  where  I 
stand  well  enough.  Until  Thorgrim's  sons  are 
of  age  I  hold  the  tutorship  of  their  lands  and 
gear;  but  all  that  is  far  away  from  here,  and 
when  once  I  am  there  it  is  as  if  Gisli  and 
Hawkdale  never  existed.  Moreover  it  can't  be 
denied  that  Gisli  was  provoked  into  what  he  did 
— moreover,  once  more,  that  he  is  your  blood 
brother.  Therefore,  you  see,  there  is  much  to 
be  thought  of.'* 

She  hardly  heard  him  to  the  end,  but  he 
took  her  by  the  wrist  and  held  her  to  her  seat. 

**  Gently,  my  dear,  hear  me  out.  Let  me  ask 
what  is  to  become  of  you  if  I  carry  this  feud 
to  the  end  you  desire,  and  set  the  whole  country 
alight  thereby.  You  carry  a  child  of  Thor- 
grim's;  you  have  a  fair  portion  here.  Who 
will  defend  you  in  it?  Thorkel?  Will  he 
satisfy  youf 


DISCOVERIES  175 

She  fidgeted  in  her  seat.  **You  know  what 
I  think  of  Thorkel.  I  have  not  asked  his  help, 
but  yonrs/^    He  looked  closely  at  her. 

*  *  And  if  I  grant  it  you  freely  and  fully — what 
then!'* 

Now  she  was  thoughtfully  looking  into  the 
fire. 

**What  do  you  ask,  then,  in  return  f 

*^I  ask  yourself,  Thordis,  and  without  you  I 
can  do  nothing.''  She  frowned  into  the  fire, 
tossing  her  foot.  Bork  put  his  arm  round  her 
and  drew  her  to  himself. 

**  Marry  me,  Thordis,  and  your  quarrel  is 
mine  to  the  end.'* 

She  looked  at  him,  curiously  and  more  than 
half  irritated  at  the  triviality  of  men.  **Why, 
what  worth  am  I  to  you!  Or  what  worth  are 
you  to  me,  if  such  desires  move  you?" 

Bork  laughed  and  pulled  her  close.  *^I  think 
a  fair  woman  alive  is  worth  many  a  man  dead 
and  huried.  I  am  in  love  with  you  now,  and 
have  been  this  long  time.  Let  us  make  a  match 
of  it  and  you  shan't  repent  it." 

**Have  me  if  you  must,"  said  Thordis,  ^^but 


176  THE  OUTLAW 

don't  fail  me,  or  it  will  be  you  who  repent  it.'' 
Thorkel  was  told  when  he  came  in,  and  Eyolf 
too.  Once  his  desire  was  moved,  it  was  not 
long  before  he  was  satisfied;  and  then,  keep- 
ing his  word,  he  proposed  to  his  brother-in-law 
the  burning  of  Holl.  Thorkel  was  strongly 
against  it — indeed,  for  once,  he  took  a  line  of 
wisdom  and  said  he  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  it.  He  said  that  at  Thorsness  Bork  and 
his  family  would  have  it  all  their  own  way,  and 
that  nothing  could  prevent  the  outlawry  of 
Gisli.  Once  made  an  outlaw,  his  slayer  would 
go  scatheless ;  the  feud  would  die  with  his  death, 
and  the  country  be  at  peace.  Bork,  as  a  fact, 
was  only  too  ready  to  agree  with  him,  and  pro- 
posed that  Seaboll  should  be  sold,  and  that  all 
their  household  should  move  out  to  Thorsness, 
where  the  outlawry  should  be  pursued  on  the 
instant.  That  was  long  debated,  for  Thordis, 
who  was  for  the  burning,  held  out  against  any 
milder  measures ;  but  she  was  overborne  by  the 
others  and  forced  to  be  content. 

Thorkel  came  to  see  Gisli  very  early  in  the 
morning.    He  seemed  scared  out  of  his  wits  to 


DISCOVERIES  177 

be  there,  would  not  sit  down,  or  allow  the  door 
to  be  shut. 

^*I  should  not  be  here,''  he  said.  ''These 
things  are  no  concern  of  mine.  I  am  a  fool 
to  put  my  hand  so  close  to  the  fire — but  I  must 
warn  you  to  look  to  yourself.'' 

Gisli  was  strangely  impassive.  ''If  I  do  look 
to  myself,  it  will  be  for  the  first  time  in  my  life. 
But  what  am  I  to  look  for?" 

Thorkel  narrowed  his  eyes.  "Thordis  has 
told  the  kinsmen  what  you  told  her.  The 
slaughter  is  declared  then.  What  will  you 
do?" 

Gisli  said,  "If  I  look  to  you  first,  as  my 
brother,  it  would  not  be  strange."  That  put 
Thorkel  into  a  stew. 

"You  cannot  look  to  me.  I  had  no  part  in 
it — I  will  not  be  dipped.  I  promise  nothing 
but  warning — and  that  is  more  than  convenient. 
I  advise  you  to  be  out  of  this  country — and  with 
speed.  No  man  can  receive  you  here.  Bottle- 
nose  has  seen  to  it." 

"Has  he  indeed?"  said  Gisli;  "and  what  has 
he  done  to  that  end?"    Thorkel  told  him  of  the 


178  THE  OUTLAW 

enchantments  and  of  the  spells  laid.  Gisli 
laughed,  though  And  did  not. 

*'Bork  marries  Thordis,"  Thorkel  said,  *^and 
we  shall  flit  from  here  to  Thorsness.  They  will 
sue  out  your  outlawry,  and  you  will  be  any 
man's  mark.  I  tell  you  this  at  risk  of  my  life 
— but  I  am  your  brother  after  all,  and  can't 
forget  if 

Gisli  said,  ''This  is  a  great  thing  you  do  for 
me,  brother,  to  let  me  know  that  I  am  to  die.'* 
Thorkel  grew  hot,  and  the  hotter  in  that  he  felt 
the  justice  of  the  rebuke. 

''You  forget  what  you  have  done  to  me — to 
kill  my  brother-in-law  and  partner — a  defence- 
less man — in  his  sleep,  too " 

"And  did  he  forget  nothing?  Did  he  not 
slay  my  blood-brother  and  brother-in-law! 
And  for  what  reason!    For  none  at  all." 

Thorkel  cast  about  him.  "He  loved  my  wife 
— ^he  was  her  lover " 

"And  if  he  had  been,  that  may  have  been 
reason  good  for  you,  but  was  it  reason  for  Thor- 
grim  to  slay  him?"  said  Gisli.  Thorkel  had 
nothing  to  say. 


DISCOVERIES  179 

'^And  if  Thorgrim  slew  him  without  quarrel, 
should  not  Thorgrim  pay  the  debt  ? ' '  Again  he 
had  nothing  to  say. 

**But  the  charge  is  a  lie/'  Grisli  said,  *'and 
you  must  know  it  well.  Asgerd  was  brainsick 
when  she  said  she  loved  him,  but  never  so  brain- 
sick as  to  say  that  he  had  ever  looked  at  her 
or  thought  about  her.  That  part  of  the  lie 
was  not  hers.    Was  it  yours?'' 

**No,  no,"  said  Thorkel.  ^*I  never  thought 
it." 

Gisli's  eyes  burned.  **Get  out  of  this,  you 
who  do  your  slaughters  at  second  hand,  and  let 
me  not  see  you  again.  You  make  me  despair 
of  long  legs  and  broad  shoulders  which  carry 
such  a  pin-point  of  heart  between  them." 
Rage  gave  him  a  force  he  was  not  aware  of. 
He  took  Thorkel  by  the  shoulders,  turned  him 
about  and  pushed  him  to  the  door.  At  the 
door  he  gave  him  a  sounding  kick  behind  which 
sent  him  hurtling  into  the  snow.  There  he 
left  him  and  came  back  to  Aud.  ^*I  feel  the 
better  for  that,"  he  said;  but  she  was  gravely 


180  THE  OUTLAW 

troubled  and  took  no  pleasure  in  ThorkePs  dis- 
comfiture. 

Aud  said, ' '  The  end  is  at  hand.  They  will  be 
too  many  for  you,  for  they  are  bitter  and  you 
have  no  anger  against  them.  The  war  goes  to 
him  whose  rage  sustains  him.  Now  do  you 
heed  me.  Sell  Holl  as  soon  as  may  be,  and  let 
us  go  up  to  Hest.  My  brother's  sons  are  too 
young  to  help  us;  but  I  have  brothers-in-law, 
three  of  them,  all  good  men  as  you  know.  I 
will  send  them  to  Thorsness  to  plead  their 
brother's  slaughter  against  the  outlawry.  We 
must  lose  no  time,  for  I  see  now  that  Thordis 
will  lose  none." 

Gisli  heard  her,  but  seemed  to  take  no  notice 
of  what  she  said.  ''The  strokes  follow  each 
other  like  steps  in  the  snow.  What  can  I  do 
against  Fate?"  Then  Aud  said  in  a  low,  hurt 
voice,  ''Am  I  nothing!"  and  he  looked  up  sur- 
prised, and  saw  her  flush  to  cheeks  and  trem- 
bling mouth. 

"My  love,  you  are  all  I  have  left.  Why  do 
you  ask  such  things?" 


DISCOVERIES  181 

'^Because,''  said  she,  **we  have  yet  a  little 
time,  and  it  will  be  something  to  remember  for 
who  is  left/'  She  spoke  now  in  a  very  low 
voice,  and  would  not  look  at  him.  But  he  looked 
at  her,  and  saw  her  more  beautiful  than  she 
had  ever  been  before.  Love  then,  within  the 
shadow  of  death,  glowed  in  this  temperate, 
strange  man — but  he  had  caught  light  from  his 
wife.  His  eyes  burned,  he  had  nothing  to  say; 
but  he  rose  up  and  stood  over  her.  His  hand 
touched  her  shoulder,  and  he  CDuld  feel  her 
tremble  at  his  touch.  So  they  stayed  for  a 
while  with  beating  hearts ;  and  then  Aud  arose 
and  gave  herself  into  his  arms.  He  led  her 
away. 

At  night  he  said,  **Now  I  have  wedded  thee 
a  second  time,  and  it  behooves  us  to  make  the 
best  of  what  days  remain  to  us.  I  arise  in  the 
morning  to  provide  for  thee,  my  love,  and  for 
thy  sake  I  will  live.'' 

Aud  clung  to  him.  '*If  I  have  put  heart  into 
you,"  she  said,  *^to  have  regard  to  yourself, 
I  have  done  something." 


182  THE  OUTLAW 

'^The  heart  yon  have  put  in  me,  my  heart, 
is  yonr  own.  * '    And  langhed. 

**0  foolish  one,  and  do  you  think  that  I  gave 
you  my  heart  tonight  ? ' ' 

He  said,  *^I  have  reason  to  think  if 


xvn 

OUTLAWRY 

NOTHING  was  done  in  a  hurry  because, 
as  Gisli  had  guessed,  Bork  was  busy 
about  other  things.  He  married  Thordis  and 
assumed  control  of  her  share  of  Seaboll;  then 
Thordis  lay  in  and  was  delivered  of  a  boy,  after- 
wards famous  by  the  name  of  Snorro.  Had  it 
not  been  for  that  last  great  affair  of  hers,  she 
would  have  goaded  Bork  into  violence  against 
Holl,  or  at  least  have  driven  him  hard.  But 
Bork  was  a  slow-moving  man,  and  at  bottom  a 
peaceable-minded  man.  He  knew  it  was  his 
business  to  slay  Gisli,  but  did  not  at  all  wish 
to  be  slain  himself.  He  was  determined  on  the 
outlawry,  and  had  charged  Eyolf  to  see  to  it 
that  nothing  was  done  at  Thorsness  which  might 
impede  it.  Eyolf,  grey,  lean-faced,  withered- 
looking,  was  rather  redoubtable  down  there, 
and  a  great  hand  at  lawsuits.    His  stretched 

183 


184  THE  OUTLAW 

smile,  which  never  failed  him,  depressed  his 
opponents.  The  result  of  it  was  that  when 
Vestan's  brothers,  Helgi,  Sigurd  and  Vestgeir, 
came  to  the  Thing  and  craved  redress  for  their 
brother's  murder,  Eyolf  was  ready  for  them 
with  a  great  host,  and  fairly  overawed  the  as- 
sembly. He  had  little  trouble  in  getting  the 
case  held  over  until  the  next  Session,  showing 
that  Bork  and  Thordis  must  both  be  present  and 
both  heard  in  mitigation  of  judgment.  The 
brothers  could  do  nothing  against  him,  so  rode 
home,  and  reported  themselves  at  Holl. 

The  better  part  of  the  year  passed  over,  and 
Holl  was  sold.  When  the  crops  should  be  in 
Gisli  was  prepared  to  flit,  but  he  lingered  on 
as  long  as  he  could,  happy  in  his  recreated  and 
quickened  love,  asking  nothing  better  of  life 
than  to  be  with  Aud.  He  saw  nobody  from 
Seaboll  and  knew  nothing  of  what  was  doing 
there.  It  had  been  better  for  him  if  he  had 
kept  his  eyes  upon  his  enemies,  but  that  was 
not  his  way.  In  his  heart  he  knew  very  well 
that  they  would  get  him  in  the  end;  his  only 
concern  was  to  put  that  end  as  far  from  him 


OUTLAWRY  185 

as  possible.  Loving  And  as  lie  did,  while  every 
time  lie  clasped  her  might  be  the  last,  he  was 
thankful  in  his  heart  that  it  had  been  given 
him.  He  told  her  nothing  of  it ;  but  she  knew 
it  perfectly  well,  and  was  content  to  live  so, 
seeing  no  other  way  was  possible.  So  they 
kept  the  edge  of  life  keen  and  sharp. 

The  news  fell  suddenly.  Thorkel  stood  once 
more  on  the  threshold  of  Holl.  Aud  was  in  the 
hall,  heard  his  footsteps,  saw  his  shadow  at  the 
door,  and  went  out  to  him.  He  looked  older. 
*^Well?''  she  said. 

**Not  well,''  said  he.  **I  have  no  reason  to 
expect  a  welcome  here,  yet  I  am  come  to  warn 
my  brother,  and  at  the  risk  of  my  good  name 
too.'' 

**Gisli  is  abroad,"  Aud  said.  **You  will  find 
him  in  the  uplands." 

**I  cannot  go  there  after  him,"  Thorkel  said. 
**I  wish  he  were  here." 

**You  may  trust  me  with  your  news,"  Aud 
told  him,  **or  if  it  must  be,  I  will  send  for  him. 
Gudrid  shall  run  up  and  fetch  him  home." 

But  Thorkel  was  in  a  stew.    *^I  cannot  wait 


186  THE  OUTLAW 

— they  wait  for  me.  They  think  me  in  another 
place  altogether.  Tell  Gisli  this,  then,  Aud, 
that  my  brother-in-law  Bork  is  now  on  the  road 
for  Thorsness,  where  he  will  move  your  man's 
outlawry,  and  surely  obtain  it.  I,  too,  shall  be 
there,  but  let  him  not  count  upon  me.'* 

Aud  flamed  in  scorn.  **How  have  you  ever 
taught  him  to  count  upon  you?  Or  did  it  seem 
to  you  that  he  counted  on  you  the  last  time  you 
were  hereT' 

Thorkel  frowned.  **It  did  not.  He  received 
me  with  great  indignity.  It  is  almost  more  than 
I  can  bear  to  set  foot  here  again.  Yet  he  is  my 
brother,  and  I  will  do  this  much  for  him,  that 
he  shall  not  be  taken  unawares.  I  warn  him 
now  that  mischief  is  afoot — and  more  than  that, 
I  warn  him  that  Bork  goes  down  in  force.  Let 
not  Gisli  show  himself.  Let  him  avoid  the 
country.    It  is  death  to  him.'' 

Aud  had  now  command  over  herself.  *^I  will 
tell  him,"  she  said.  **What  else  do  you  wish 
me  to  tell  him  of  yourself?" 

Thorkel  spread  out  his  hands.    '*0h,  nothing 


OUTLAWEY  187 

more.  It  is  the  uttermost.  I  consider  I  serve 
him  well. ' ' 

**I  will  tell  Gisli  that,"  And  said.  Thorkel 
then  hesitated,  as  if  he  wished  to  say  more,  as 
if,  with  some  nrging,  he  might  say  more;  but 
And  bit  her  lip  lest  she  shonld  do  any  nrging 
of  him,  and  with  a  great  sigh  Thorkel  tnrned 
away,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  clear  of  the  garth, 
monnted  and  rode  fast. 

She  told  Gisli  everything  when  he  came  in, 
and  he  received  the  news  calmly.  **The  first 
move  will  be  that  Bork  sets  down  his  suit  for 
trial, '^  he  said.  **Then  a  summons  will  be 
granted  him  against  me,  which  he  must  deliver. 
He  will  do  it  in  force,  so  we  may  expect  to  see 
Thorkel  here  again.  What  we  must  do  now  is 
this,  to  send  out  your  brothers-in-law  once  more 
to  Thorsness.  As  for  you  and  me,  my  love, 
we  can  be  happy  yet  for  awhile. ' ' 

He  had  wisely  judged  the  course  of  events, 
but  not  wisely  delayed  his  preparation.  It  was 
near  the  end  of  the  summer  when  Thorkel  came 


188  THE  OUTLAW 

again  to  Holl,  and  asked  for  Gisli,  and  saw  Mm. 
Thorkel  was  out  of  breath,  and  apparently  in 
as  much  of  a  fume  as  before.  Gisli 's  quiet  ways 
exasperated  him. 

^^How  can  you  ask  me  whether  I  am  in  a 
hurry?  If  you  care  nothing  for  yourself,  can't 
you  have  a  thought  for  other  men?  I  tell  you 
that  I  have  given  them  the  slip  at  the  cost  of  a 
lie  which  may  be  found  out  at  any  moment.  As 
it  is,  my  horse  is  standing  before  a  man's  door 
on  the  heath,  and  I  am  come  here  on  a  borrowed 
beast,  and  all  for  your  sake." 

*^How  does  your  change  of  horses  help  me?" 
says  Gisli,  with  an  easy  smile. 

**Are  you  a  fool?"  cries  his  brother.  **We 
are  come  up  sixty  strong  to  Sandwater  mouth. 
Bork  is  there,  Eyolf  is  there.  Fighting  Stein 
and  Thorodd,  sons  of  the  Codbiter's  daughter 
— and  a  following  which  could  scour  out  the 
dale.  And  you  talk  of  changing  horses.  How 
do  you  suppose  I  could  get  away— by  telling 
Bork  that  I  was  coming  to  warn  you?  Oh,  you 
fool,  and  he  will  be  here  before  I  can  catch 
him  up." 


OUTLAWRY  189 

Thorkel  was  now  fairly  hopping  about  with 
impatience.  ^^This  is  the  last  thing — the  very 
last  I  do  for  you.  You  imperil  my  life  as  well 
as  your  own — and  I  am  a  man  with  responsi- 
bilities. I  cannot  have  it.  Now  I  must  be  off. 
Take  my  warning — avoid  Bork.  He  is  too 
strong  for  you.^' 

**And  for  you,  too,  brother,  I  see,'*  said  Gisli. 
But  Thorkel  was  pounding  up  the  valley  to  the 
heath. 

Oisli  and  Aud  looked  at  each  other.  *  *  Sweet- 
heart, I'll  get  into  the  woods,''  he  said.  *^Do 
you  stay  here  till  I  come  for  you.  Trust  me, 
I'll  be  back  again.  Now  come  and  help  me  load 
a  sleigh."  Aud  made  no  fuss  at  all,  but  went 
to  help. 

He  loaded  two  sleighs  with  what  he  thought 
he  should  want,  and  took  Thord  Faintheart  with 
him  to  drive  one  of  them.  As  they  were  about 
to  start  he  suddenly  stopped  his  team,  and  got 
down. 

*' Thord,"  he  said  to  his  thrall,  *^I  am  over- 
well-known  by  this  cloak  of  mine,  but  they  will 
never  hurt  you,  if  you  wear  it.     Change  cloaks 


190  THE  OUTLAW 

with  me,  man,  and  if  they  should  summon  you 
to  Thorsness  instead  of  me,  it  will  do  you  no 
harm,  and  may  do  me  some  good.  Mind  you, 
never  a  word  from  you,  whatever  men  may  say 
to  you.    Now  then.'' 

Thord  did  as  he  was  bid,  nothing  doubted; 
Gisli  kissed  Aud,  and  led  his  team  out  of  the 
garth.  The  way  led  down  the  river  for  a  league 
to  a  bridge  of  logs.  That  must  be  crossed,  and 
the  track  followed  up  on  to  the  fells  to  the  great 
woods  which  crowned  the  first  ridge.  Once  in 
there,  he  could  work  back  nearer  home;  but 
needs  must  he  first  go  down  stream,  because  of 
the  bridge. 

He  made  good  speed,  and  was  safely  over 
the  bridge  before  dark.  Thord  the  thrall  was 
not  so  lucky.  True  that  he  was  over  the  bridge, 
but  by  the  time  he  was  crossing  Gisli  was  up  the 
fell  and  almost  within  the  trees.  So  it  was 
that  Bork  and  his  party  riding  up  the  dale  saw, 
so  they  believed,  Gisli  in  his  sea-blue  cloak 
climbing  the  fell.  The  two  young  men,  Stein 
and  Thorodd,  rode  out  to  pursue  him — which 
when  the  thrall  perceived,  he  slipped  out  of  the 


OUTLAWEY  191 

sledge  and  set  off  running  to  the  trees.  The 
pursuers  overhauled  him  rapidly,  and  called 
upon  him  by  name — ^  ^  Vain  to  fly,  Gisli ;  we  know 
you.  Stand,  and  it  will  be  the  better  for  you" 
— and  so  on;  but  Thord  the  thrall  ran  on  with 
all  his  might.  The  young  men  spurred  after 
him,  and  when  they  were  within  range,  one  of 
them,  Thorodd,  I  think,  stood  up  in  his  stir- 
rups and  aiming  his  spear,  threw  it  with  skill. 
It  went  clean  through  the  thrall,  who  tumbled 
forward  on  his  face  and  never  moved  again. 
Bork  from  the  bridge  hallooed,  *'Fine  throw!'* 
and  the  young  men  pressed  on  gaily  after  the 
other  man,  the  thrall  as  they  supposed,  whom 
they  had  seen  disappearing  into  the  trees.  But 
they  could  find  nothing  of  him  for  all  they 
searched  up  and  down,  so  back  they  went  to  their 
first  capture. 

Bork  was  there  by  now,  and  all  the  company. 
They  had  turned  the  dead  man  over  and  found 
out  their  mistake.  Bork  was  vexed.  ^^He  has 
been  too  many  for  us  so  far.  I  always  knew 
he  was  a  clever  one.  Well,  we  are  a  large  pack. 
We  will  just  quarter  the  wood  until  we  find 


192  THE  OUTLAW 

him.  What  better  proof  do  you  want  of  his 
guilt  than  this  is?  Gome,  follow  me/'  They 
rode  off ;  but  Thorkel  was  not  with  them.  He 
had  stayed  by  the  bridge. 

The  wood  was  a  great  wood  and  not  easy 
quartering  in  the  dusk.    They  found  the  sleigh, 
but  didn't  touch  it.     *'No,  no,''  Bork  had  com- 
manded ;  *  ^  we  are  after  a  man,  not  a  booty. ' '    So 
they  spread  themselves  as  near  as  might  be 
to  the  breadth  of  the  wood  and  beat  towards  the 
head  of  the  valley;  Bork  had  the  beat  nearest 
the  river,  and  pushed  on  until  it  was  dark. 
Then  he  had  to  return  if  he  did  not  wish  to 
spend  the  night  there.    It  was  not  until  the 
party  was  met  again  at  the  bridge  that  he  found 
himself  a  man   short.    An  East-country  man 
called  Gort  was  not  there.    They  whooped  and 
hallooed  for  him,  but  he  never  came,  and  with 
good  reason.    He  had  heard  a  beat  through  the 
thickets,  and  being  a  sharp-eyed  fellow,  had 
seen  something  moving  in  a  dense  brake— he 
knew  not  what.     At  a  venture  he  had  cast  his 
spear,  and  had  actually  hit  Gisli  in  the  calf 
of  his  leg.    He  heard  no  sound,  however,  and 


OUTLAWRY  193 

went  to  recover  his  spear,  supposing  he  had 
shot  at  a  fox  or  some  snch  beast  of  covert. 
As  he  came  on,  the  spear  flew  out  at  him  and 
went  through  his  neck.  That  was  the  end  of 
Gort. 

But  they  did  not  stay  long  on  the  bridge  for 
their  follower.  There  was  much  to  do.  They 
all  rode  up  the  valley  to  HoU,  and  there  Bork 
and  his  two  nephews  dismounted  and  knocked 
at  the  door.  And  opened  it,  a  torch  in  her  hand. 
Her  eyes  were  bright  and  her  colour  high,  but 
she  had  no  fear.  Gudrid  the  child  was  with  her. 
No  men  showed  up. 

**What  is  your  willT'  she  asked  of  Bork. 

*'A  word  with  you,  mistress,'^  he  said. 

All  three  of  the  men  were  strangers  to  her, 
all  being  from  Thorsness.  After  a  moment's 
hesitation  she  stood  aside  with  her  torch  and 
let  them  pass  into  the  hall.  Hospitality  was 
the  custom,  and  she  would  not  break  it.  The 
fire  was  burning  clear;  there  were  no  signs  of 
the  master's  flight.  Gudrid  fetched  drink,  and 
And  herself  offered  it.    Everything  was  done 


194  THE  OUTLAW 

honourably.  Bork  drank  to  her,  set  down  his 
horn,  wrung  out  his  red  beard,  and  blinked 
many  times  as  he  sought  for  words.  His  eye- 
lashes were  straw-colour  and  glittered  in  the 
torchlight. 

*^ Mistress,''  he  said,  **I  am  Bork  of  Thors- 
ness,  and  now  of  Seaboll  in  right  of  my  wife 
Thordis.  Having  told  you  so  much,  you  will 
understand  why  I  am  here.  I  have  to  do  with 
the  master  of  this  house,  and  not  with  you.  But 
if  he  is  not  here,  as  I  believe  he  is  not,  it  would 
be  within  my  rights  to  stay  here  until  he  re- 
turn. Short  of  that,  I  am  willing,  if  you  are, 
to  deal  with  you  on  his  behalf.  Tell  me  how 
you  will  have  it.'' 

**Gisli  is  not  here,"  said  Aud,  **and  I  wish 
you  to  treat  with  me." 

**I  will  do  so,  then,"  said  Bork.  **I  have  a 
summons  for  him  to  appear  at  the  Thorsness 
Thing  next  coming,  to  answer  to  a  claim  of  out- 
lawry against  him.  If  you  will  pass  your  word 
that  the  summons  be  delivered  to  him  I  will 
leave  it  with  you.  Eemember  that  I  have  no 
quarrel  with  yourself." 


OUTLAWEY  195 

**I  remember  what  I  remember,''  said  Aud, 
'*as  the  sister  of  Vestan  of  Hesf 

Bork  spread  out  his  hands.  *^That  was  no 
quarrel  of  mine.    But  answer  me  now." 

^*I  will  give  your  message  to  Gisli  when  he 
returns/'  Aud  said.  ^* There  will  be  no  trouble 
about  that." 

Bork  was  not  pleased,  but  was  committed 
to  fair  dealing.  ^*Be  it  so.  Now  the  suit  of 
outlawry  is  fairly  afoot.  We  thank  you,  mis- 
tress, for  your  hospitality,  and  withdraw  as  I 
promised  you.  You  will  not  have  to  complain 
of  anything  done  by  men  of  mine."  Then  he 
was  for  departing,  but  Aud,  whose  colour  was 
now  like  flame,  had  one  more  word  to  say. 

**  Hospitality  was  your  due ;  but  I  marvel  that 
my  brother-in-law  Thorkel  did  not  claim  it  also. 
I  think  he  would  have  made  a  good  figure,  stand- 
ing here  with  you."  Bork  grew  as  red  as  his 
own  beard. 

*^ Thorkel!  You  are  welcome  to  Thorkel. 
Do  you  think  that  he  has  set  the  suit  moving?" 

**I  do  not,"  said  Aud;  *^but  I  know  that  he 
sits  mounted  beyond  the  garth. ' ' 


xvin 

THE  FLITTING 

GISLI,  sitting  on  a  rock  above  Holl,  had 
seen  the  torchlights  flare  down  below  him 
some  thousand  feet,  and  guessed  at  what  was 
going  on.  Still  and  cold  was  the  night  under 
the  clear  stars,  so  still  that  he  had  heard  men's 
voices — Bork's  raised  in  command,  others  dis- 
senting or  urging  agreement ;  presently  a  mur- 
mur of  confused  sound  certified  him  of  horses 
in  movement.  They  went  down  the  dale  and 
faded  out.  By  that  he  concluded  that  the  busi- 
ness was  done  and  the  enemy  off  to  the  frith 
and  their  ships  down  there.  He  could  not  be 
sure  until  daylight,  because  they  might  set  a 
watch  at  the  bridge;  therefore  he  must  spend 
the  night  in  the  wood.  That  didn't  disturb  hi^: 
at  all,  but  he  must  find  his  sleigh.  He  had 
bound  up  his  wounded  leg,  wUch  was  now  stiff 
and  throbbing :  walking  was  a  painful  business ; 
but,  as  he  said,  he  had  all  night  to  do  it  in. 

196 


THE  FLITTING  197 

He  came  upon  it  just  where  lie  had  left  it; 
his  two  ponies  cropping  the  herbage  directed 
him  by  their  snorting  and  shaking  of  harness. 
Wrapt  up  in  his  furs,  he  took  an  uneasy  sleep, 
greatly  disturbed  by  the  smarting  and  beating 
of  his  wound. 

In  the  morning  he  drove  slowly  back  towards 
the  bridge.  The  coast  was  clear.  He  found 
the  second  sleigh  where  he  had  expected  it  to 
be ;  but  before  he  reached  that  he  came  upon  the 
body  of  Thord  his  thrall  stiff  on  his  back  and 
staring  up  at  the  sky.  He  took  back  his  own 
cloak,  and  gave  the  poor  wretch  burial,  raising 
a  cairn  over  him  as  seemed  to  him  fitting. 
When  the  rites  were  done  he  took  his  way  home, 
and  half-way  thither  saw  Grudrid  perched  on  a 
boulder  to  spy  for  him.  She  waved  her  hand, 
then  slipped  down  and  ran  home.  Soon  after 
that  he  saw  Aud  awaiting  him.  He  had  her 
in  his  arms  within  a  few  minutes. 

*^  Sweetheart,  we  will  be  off,  if  may  be,  this 
very  day,''  he  said,  when  he  had  heard  all  she 
had  to  tell  him.  ''I  will  take  you  and  the  maid, 
and  all  our  gear  down  to  the  strand.    A  neigh- 


198  THE  OUTLAW 

bonr  will  lodge  you  while  I  go  over  to  Hest  and 
bid  our  brothers  to  Thorsness  to  plead  for  us. 
They  will  not  prevail,  but  we  must  try  it.  Then 
we  take  boat  and  out  to  sea.*' 

* '  "Whither  shall  you  goV  she  asked  him.  He 
laughed  at  her. 

'*Much  you  care  where  we  go  so  long  as  we 
are  together.'' 

*'That  is  true/'  said  she,  ''but  how  can  we 
be  together  with  you  an  outlaw?" 

''Leave  that  to  me,"  he  said.  "I  think  we 
shall  have  some  years  together  yet."  She 
sighed. 

"Yes,  and  then?" 

"And  then!"  said  Gisli.  "What  answer  can 
any  man  living  give  to  such  a  question?  And 
then — we  shall  see." 

They  were  not,  in  fact,  clear  of  Holl  for  seven 
nights,  for  he  chose  to  take  stock  and  forage 
with  him,  and  to  get  all  that  down  to  the  strand 
took  time.  He  had  to  collect  his  money  also 
from  the  purchaser  of  Holl,  and  to  charter  a 
sleigh  to  his  liking.  Thorkel  Kich  of  Alvidra 
furnished  him  with  a  good  ship. 


THE  FLITTING  199 

Alone  he  crossed  the  frith  and  rode  up  to 
Hest,  nigh  upon  the  fells,  where  Gunnhild, 
Vestan's  widow,  and  her  two  boys  were  still 
living,  within  hail  of  them  being  the  three 
brothers-in-law,  sons  of  Biartmar.  Vestan's 
two  boys  were  fourteen  and  twelve  years  old; 
Berg  was  the  elder,  a  handsome  lad,  black  and 
high-coloured  like  his  father ;  and  Helgi  was  the 
other,  meaner-looking  than  his  brother,  but  with 
more  wit.  Those  two  were  by  and  listening  to 
the  talk  between  Gisli  and  his  brothers-in-law, 
and  when  all  their  business  was  done  and  Gisli 
sitting  by  the  fire  with  a  horn  of  mead,  they 
drew  near  to  him  and  asked  to  see  his  weapons. 

**I  have  but  one  with  me,''  Gisli  said,  and 
showed  them  a  broad-bladed  spear  of  thin  grey 
steel  upon  a  haft  made  of  ashwood. 

Helgi,  the  younger  boy,  felt  the  edge. 
** That's  a  keen  blade,"  he  said,  **and  I  war- 
rant a  fine  temper.'' 

**It  has  a  queer  temper,"  said  Gisli,  **and  has 
done  mischief  enough  to  my  house  and  to 
yours. ' ' 

**Was  it  with  that  my  father  was  killed?" 


200  THE  OUTLAW 

Gisli  nodded. 

**And  with  that  you  slew  Thorgrim?^ 

Gisli  nodded. 

**And  what  next?" 

'^It  may  turn  upon  my  house  next,''  said 
Gisli,  *^ unless  I  make  away  with  the  thing.  I 
rather  think  Grayflanks  has  done  murder 
enough. ' ' 

Berg,  the  elder  boy,  now  had  Grayflanks  in 
his  hand.  *'A  sword  became  a  spear!''  Then 
he  asked  Gisli,  ^^Will  you  let  me  have  it  instead 
of  throwing  it  into  the  frith?" 

**What  do  you  want  with  it?" 

**0h,  I  don't  know.  I  am  turned  fourteen 
years." 

Gisli  looked  him  in  the  eyes.  *'I  know  you 
are,  my  lad,  and  for  that  reason  I  will  keep 
Grayflanks  myself,  rather  than  give  it  to  you. 
This  blade,  you  must  know,  turns  against  its 
owner.  That  has  been  the  way  of  it  ever  since 
my  father  did  a  wrong  to  get  it.  It  has  done 
mischief  enough  to  us  all  as  it  is.  I  keep  it 
and  its  mischief  now  to  myself." 

Late  as  it  was,  he  went  down  to  Aud  that 


THE  FLITTING  201 

night,  saying  that  he  knew  not  how  many  more 
nights  he  might  have  to  spend  with  her,  and 
next  day  with  all  his  gear  aboard  he  sailed  out 
of  Dyrafrith,  turned  Husaness,  and  sailed  up 
into  Arnaf rith,  which  is  a  noble  arm  of  the  sea, 
but  no  so  broad  that  you  cannot  see  a  faint  blue 
line  of  the  land  on  either  side  of  you.  Holding 
up  the  frith  for  a  day  and  a  night,  he  brought 
his  ship  into  the  narrows  and  still  bore  up  in  a 
smooth  and  small  water  where  the  rocks  come 
down  sheer  into  the  sea,  and  it  is  hard  to  find 
a  landing-place,  and  still  harder  to  understand 
how  a  man  may  get  a  livelihood  out  of  such  a 
country.  He  was  now  in  Greirthiof  sf  rith,  which 
was  where  he  intended  to  found  a  homestead 
for  Aud. 

He  ran  ashore  in  a  little  cove  of  hard  white 
sand,  got  his  skiff  ashore,  and  with  a  hind  or 
two  to  help  him,  who  came,  as  it  seemed,  out  of 
the  rocks,  like  rabbits,  he  wound  the  ship  up 
high  and  dry,  loaded  his  sleighs  and  climbed 
slowly  up  the  braeside.  All  day  they  climbed, 
and  just  before  dusk  reached  a  level  stretch  of 
grassland  on  the  edge  of  a  little  tarn.    A  few 


202  THE  OUTLAW 

trees  grew  here,  and  there  looked  to  be  space 
for  a  homestead.  There  indeed,  by  the  end  of 
the  winter,  working  with  fury,  helped  by  a  few 
men  from  the  shore,  and  by  And  and  the  girl 
too,  he  did  succed  in  raising  a  fair  timber  house 
— ^not  large,  but  large  enough.  Before  it  was 
done  he  had  news  that  he  was  outlawed — not 
from  his  brothers-in-law,  who  were  ashamed 
of  the  small  part  they  had  been  able  to  play,  but 
from  Thorkel  Rich  of  Alvidra,  to  whom  they 
had  confessed  their  discomfiture.  ^  *  Now  then, '  ^ 
he  said,  **the  end  of  me  is  in  sight.'' 

**No,  no,''  Alvidra  said,  *^not  while  I  can  give 
thee  shelter,  man." 

' '  That  will  not  be  for  long, ' '  Gisli  said.  * '  But 
I  have  many  a  shift  and  turn  to  take  yet,  and 
will  lead  fat  Bork  a  pretty  dance  up  and  down 
before  he  pins  me  to  a  comer." 

Alvidra  admired.  **You  shirk  nothing. 
You  are  a  brave  man.  Yet  I  suppose  life  is  a 
sweet  thing." 

^^It  is  a  sweet  thing  to  me,"  said  Gisli,  ** be- 
cause love  makes  it  so.  If  it  were  not  for  Aud, 
I  should  not  be  bothered  with  life." 


XIX 

THE  HUNT  IS  UP 

THE  man  from  whom  I  had  this  tale  in  the 
beginning  says  that  Gisli  lived  three 
years  at  Geirthiofsfrith  with  And  in  the  house 
which  he  had  built  her,  and  then  another  three 
years  wandering  from  great  house  to  great 
house,  trying,  but  in  vain,  to  procure  help  of  the 
great  men  who  lived  in  them  countenance  at 
the  Assembly  which  might  condone  the  out- 
lawry, but  he  says  that  the  witchcraft  of  Bot- 
tlenose  always  prevailed ;  no  chief  would  house 
him  for  long,  and  none  take  up  his  case  at 
Thorsness  Thing.  After  these  six  years  were 
over,  he  goes  on  to  say,  Gisli  gave  up  all  at- 
tempts to  win  friends  and  spent  his  time  either 
with  Aud  at  the  house,  or  in  hiding-places  which 
he  had  made  in  the  rocks  which  hem  in  the  frith 
on  all  sides  but  one.  He  had  a  cave  on  the  north 
side  of  the  frith,  and  a  lurking-place  among  the 

203 


204  THE  OUTLAW 

crags  on  the  south  side ;  and  that  was  the  holt 
he  chiefly  favoured. 

All  this  may  be  true ;  anyhow  I  must  accept 
it,  for  I  cannot  contradict  it.  But  now  he  says 
that  after  those  six  years,  three  of  steady  so- 
journ and  three  of  wandering  about,  Bork  the 
Fat,  down  at  Thorsness,  hears  of  him  up  there 
in  the  frith,  and  goes  up  to  Otterdale  to  see 
his  friend  and  kinsman,  Eyolf  the  Gray,  There 
I  think  him  wrong.  I  think  it  more  likely  that 
Eyolf  the  Gray  told  Bork  of  Gisli's  where- 
abouts ;  and  for  this  reason,  that  Otterdale  runs 
down  into  Arnarfrith,  whereof  Geirthiofsfrith 
is  an  arm.  At  the  Thing  or  elsewhere  Eyolf 
would  meet  Bork,  and  having  the  news  in  his 
head  would  ask  him  whether  that  old  outlawry 
held  or  not. 

*^Hold!  I  should  think  it  held.  When  did 
you  ever  know  me  to  drop  a  scent  T' 

**Why,  never  before.  Yet  here  is  your  man 
within  a  bird's  flight  of  my  house,  and  you  not 
so  much  as  come  up  the  dale  to  learn  about  it.'' 

**But  I  am  learning  about  it  now,"  says  Bork. 
**How  did  you  find  him?" 


THE  HUNT  IS  UP  205 

'*I  did  not  find  him  then.  But  the  Needle 
did/' 

The  Needle  was  a  thrall  named  Helgi,  a  thin, 
silent  and  swift  man  with  eyes  like  augers  and 
feet  shod  with  wind.  No  doubt  the  Needle 
pointed  him  out  to  Eyolf,  and  Eyolf  to  Bork. 

However  all  that  may  be,  Bork  and  Eyolf 
came  together,  and  Eyolf  was  persuaded  to  take 
up  the  hunting  of  Gisli.  Three  hundred  pounds 
of  silver  was  the  price  offered  and  accepted, 
and  the  bullion  was  actually  deposited  at  Ot- 
terdale  before  Eyolf  would  do  anything.  That 
settled,  Bork  the  Fat  went  home  and  told  Thor- 
dis,  his  fierce  and  handsome  wife,  what  had 
been  done.  Thordis  was  nursing  a  third  child. 
Fair  and  rich  did  she  look  in  the  act;  but  re- 
sentment still  smouldered  in  her  eyes,  a  grudge 
against  the  world  at  large,  not  wholly  her  foot- 
stool. To  see  so  flaming  a  face,  such  angry  eyes 
above  a  breast  of  snow  was  unaccountable. 
*'You  have  done  after  your  kind,'*  she  said. 
*'Now  we  shall  see  if  Eyolf  will  do  for  hire  what 
you  cannot  do  for  love  of  your  kindred.  But 
not  as  you  deal  did  your  brother  Thorgrim. 


206  THE  OUTLAW 

No — ^he  was  a  man.  You  and  my  brother  Thor- 
kel  are  a  pair.''    Bork  was  annoyed. 

**  Lucky  for  the  world  that  there  is  not  your 
pair  in  it,  I  think.  It  is  not  every  woman  would 
seek  her  brother's  life."  She  bit  her  lip  and 
at  the  same  time  turned  him  her  back.  The 
child  at  her  breast  fretted  and  strove.  Thordis 
satisfied  him,  and  watched  him  as  he  sucked. 
Bork  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  turned  pres- 
ently to  his  affairs.  He  had  his  consolations, 
I  believe;  but  Thordis  was  not  a  good  house- 
mate. 

Eyolf  lost  no  time  in  setting  the  Needle  to 
work.  This  man  spent  his  days  on  the  crags, 
where  he  would  sit  motionless  and  watchful, 
as  a  cat  sits  in  long  grass.  Gisli  was  not  long  in 
finding  him  at  it.  He  shifted  his  quarters  to 
another  creek,  and  then  deliberately  showed 
himself  at  the  old  place.  The  Needle  saw  him, 
and  soon  disappeared.  Then  Gisli  knew  that 
he  was  being  hunted. 

Sure  enough  a  boat  was  rowed  up  the  frith 
next  day.  Six  men  were  standing  up  in  the 
stern,  and  one  sat  to  steer.     The  helmsman  was 


THE  HUNT  IS  UP  207 

Eyolf.  They  moored  just  below  the  cave,  and 
came  cautiously  climbing  the  rocks.  Gisli, 
watching  them,  saw  them  peering  into  the  hole, 
finally  enter  it.  He  waited  till  they  came  out ; 
saw  them  descend,  hold  a  conversation  with 
Eyolf,  who  still  sat  in  his  boat;  then  they 
shipped  the  mooring-stone  and  rowed  slowly 
down  the  frith.  He  was  now  spied  upon  again, 
so  far  as  he  knew,  for  a  month  or  more — but 
his  mind  was  never  easy  after  that  first  experi- 
ence. 

The  next  move  in  the  game  was  unexpected 
by  Gisli.  The  Needle  must  have  seen  him  un- 
awares, for  a  boat  came  into  Geirthiofsfrith 
with  eight  men  aboard,  and  six  of  them  climbed 
the  fell  and  surrounded  the  house  up  there. 
Gudrid  saw  them  coming,  and  told  Aud.  She 
said,  **Let  them  come." 

Eyolf  himself  with  his  light-blue  eyes  and 
stretched  smile  came  into  the  hall.  Two  others 
were  with  him,  all  three  armed.  Aud,  who 
looked  very  young  because  she  was  so  slim  and 
quick-moving,  did  not  greet  them,  but  stood 
up  to  face   them,   one  hand  upon  the  table. 


208  THE  OUTLAW 

Eyolf,  always  smiling,  waited  for  her  to  speak. 
But  slie  had  nothing  to  say. 

Then  he  said,  **  Mistress,  yon  know  my  er- 
rand?*' 

**I  do  not,'*  said  And.  *^It  is  not  easy  to  say 
why  three  armed  men  should  come  against  two 
women.  *  * 

**Nay,  dame,  nay,"  he  said,  rubbing  his  chin, 
still  smiling;  *^we  are  come  to  see  the  good 
man. '  *    And  looked  him  full  in  the  face. 

^  *  The  only  murder  you  will  do  here  will  be  of 
women.    Gisli  is  not  here.'* 

The  men  looked  at  each  other.  One  of  them, 
who  was  red  in  the  face,  told  her  that  they  did 
not  wish  to  hurt  her.  Eyolf,  searching  all  cor- 
ners of  the  room  with  his  eyes,  but  avoiding 
hers,  added,  *'No,  no,  we  hope  it  will  not  come 
to  that.'*  Then  he  said  with  a  little  chuckling 
noise,  **We  are  prepared  to  treat  with  you 
handsomely.  You  will  find  us  liberal  in  deal- 
ing.** 

**What  do  you  mean  by  thatT*  she  asked 
him. 


THE  HUNT  IS  UP  209 

He  laughed  again.  **You  know  as  well  as  I 
do  what  I  mean.*' 

''Nay/*  she  said,  ''but  it  were  better  you 
should  explain  yourself.** 

Then  he  took  a  bag  out  of  his  breast,  a  heavy 
bag,  and  emptied  it  on  to  the  table—sliding, 
shining,  broad  pieces  of  silver,  which  slipped 
over  one  another  like  fish  on  a  quay.  And  then 
he  looked  at  Aud:  "Yours,  ma*am,  for  a  word.** 

Aud,  whose  breath  could  be  heard  whistling 
in  her  nostrils,  came  near  and  laid  a  hand  on  the 
table.  With  a  sweep  of  the  hand  she  sent  the 
stuff  flying  across  the  hall.  "You  are  an- 
swered,** she  said. 

Eyolf  was  very  angry,  and  though  he  still 
smiled,  the  smile  was  terrible,  a  flat  line  across 
the  middle  of  his  face  like  the  grin  of  a  skull. 
He  went  close  to  Aud.  "I  can  do  you  harm  for 
that  insult,**  he  said.  "I  have  known  a  wo- 
man *s  hand  cut  off  for  the  like.**  But  Aud  did 
not  flinch. 

"I  do  not  doubt  but  you  have  known  it,  and 
no  man  better.    Who  should  know  it  better 


210  THE  OUTLAW 

than  jouV^  His  men  were  collecting  the  coins 
and  shovelling  them  back  into  the  bag.  By  this 
time  Eyolf  was  at  the  door.  ** Follow  me/'  he 
bade  them,  and  turned  once  more  to  And, 
*^  There  can  be  but  one  end  to  this,  as  you  know 
very  well.  Next  time  I  come  to  see  you  I  ad- 
vise you  to  behave  yourself.'*  She  took  no 
notice  of  him  at  all,  having  her  back  turned. 
But  the  girl  Gudrid  was  looking  at  him  all  the 
time  with  wide  eyes,  as  if  he  were  some  kind  of 
a  monster. 

There  was  no  more  spying  after  Gisli  for 
several  months ;  nevertheless  he  thought  it  bet- 
ter to  be  out  of  the  country  for  the  winter.  At 
that  season  his  caves  would  be  uninhabitable, 
since  he  dare  not  light  a  fire ;  and  if  he  stayed  at 
home  he  might  be  pinched  in  the  night  and  killed 
like  a  rat  in  a  drain.  Aud  wanted  him  to  go 
too;  so  he  kissed  her,  promising  to  be  back  in 
the  spring. 

*^I  will  trust  you,''  she  said.  *^You  have 
never  broken  your  word  to  me."  Then  she 
clung  to  him  with  passion.  ^*0h,  how  many 
more  winters  can  you  promise  me  this  and  I  be- 


THE  HUNT  IS  UP  211 

lieve  itr'  He  felt  sure  that  there  could  not 
be  many  more,  but  would  not  tell  her  so. 

'* Don't  look  too  far  forward,  sweetheart. 
Who  knows  his  end?  Trust  me  this  once — and 
next  fall  we  will  see.*'     So  she  let  him  go. 

He  went  South,  over  the  watershed  and  down 
to  Bardastrand,  where  Thorkel  his  brother  was 
now  living,  within  sound  of  the  sea-waves.  He 
knocked  at  the  door  late  at  night,  but  Thorkel 
got  out  of  bed  and  opened  to  him. 

**Who  is  it  comes  so  lateT' 

*^One,''  said  Gisli,  ^Vho  dares  not  come 
early. ' ' 

**Isityou,  Gisli  r' 

'^You  know  the  worst  of  me,''  Gisli  said. 

Thorkel  let  him  in,  and  stirred  up  the  peat 
fire.  He  was  sleepy  and  dull:  could  not,  or 
did  not,  rouse  himself. 

Gisli  stretched  his  hands  to  the  fire. 

'*Here  am  I,"  he  said,  ^^your  brother,  driven 
from  home  by  friends  of  yours  for  a  business 
which  began  by  your  folly.  What  do  you  mean 
to  do  with  me!" 

Thorkel  said  feebly,  ^^What  can  I  do!" 


212  THE  OUTLAW 

**Ask  yourself,"  said  Gisli,  ^^what  I  should 
do,  if  you  were  in  my  place,  and  I  in  yours. '  * 

Thorkel  immediately  betrayed  his  full  knowl- 
edge of  what  Gisli  would  have  done.  ^*No,  no, 
I  cannot  indeed.  I  told  you  that  before.  It  is 
asking  too  much.  Money,  wool,  horses,  fod- 
der, what  you  will.  But  I  cannot  keep  you  here. 
Indeed  I  cannot  do  it.  I  have  a  large  estate — 
I  am  committed  in  many  ways.  Asgerd  is  far 
from  well.  Gisli,"  he  said  earnestly,  **at  peril 
of  my  life — twice — I  have  warned  you.  That  I 
have  done.  Thordis,  our  sister,  has  expected 
very  differently  of  me.  But  no — I  would  not 
budge — not  one  inch." 

'^ Brave  man,"  said  Gisli  to  the  fire,  **a  stout 
heart."  Thorkel,  looking  round,  saw  Asgerd 
at  the  door  of  her  bed-chamber.  Her  hair  was 
all  about  her.     She  had  a  blanket  over  her. 

**What  do  you  want?"  he  asked.  She  came 
up  to  the  fire. 

**You  must  give  Gisli  shelter  to-night.  You 
must  do  it."     Gisli  looked  up. 

**Poor  girl,"  he  said. 

**A11  this  trouble — I  made  it,"  said  Asgerd. 


THE  HUNT  IS  UP  213 

^^Now  if  you  do  not  shelter  him  but  drive  him 
out  into  the  dark,  I  shall  go  with  him. ' ' 
**Poor  girl/'  said  Gisli,  *^and  a  brave  girl.'' 
Thorkel  hated  it,  but  he  had  to  give  way. 
Gisli  slept  there  one  night,  but  went  on  next 
day.  He  accepted  some  bales  of  wool  which 
he  said  would  buy  him  a  lodging  for  the  winter. 
Asgerd  wished  him  to  stop,  telling  that  she 
could  force  Thorkel  into  allowing  it,  but  he 
would  not  have  that.  He  never  blamed  her, 
never  had  blamed  her  for  her  share  in  the 
trouble.  Indeed,  he  had  never  seen  her  to  speak 
with  since  she  left  Holl.  After  the  slaughter 
of  Vestan,  Thordis  had  kept  her  close.  He 
told  her  now  that  he  would  not  have  Thorkel 
driven  into  a  corner  on  his  account.  **I  have 
done  him  harm  enough,"  he  said,  ^* though  never 
willingly.  I  wish  him  no  ill — still  less  would  I 
see  you  injured."  He  blessed  her  before  he 
went. 

But  to  Thorkel  he  had  something  else  to  say. 
**You  best  know  how  you  have  behaved  in  our 
joint  adventures.  You  best  know  how  you  can 
justify  yourself  now.    It  is  likely  that  my  days 


214  THE  OUTLAW 

are  counted,  but  something  tells  me  that  yours 
will  be  shorter  than  mine.  I  think  we  shall  not 
meet  again,  Thorkel!''  His  brother  looked  at 
him  as  if  he  didn't  understand  what  he  was  talk- 
ing about;  but  Gisli  had  a  spaegift  in  these 
days.  Dreams  at  night  certified  him.  He 
used  to  be  led  by  a  veiled  woman  through 
a  great  hall  where  a  number  of  fires  were 
burning.  The  first  time  she  had  taken  him 
through  there  had  been  seven  of  them;  the 
next  time  six;  the  next  five.  The  last  time  he 
had  been  there  only  three  fires  were  alight. 

Thorkel,  as  I  say,  stood  staring  stupidly  at 
his  brother,  and  that  made  Gisli  angry. 

'^Yes,  you  are  planted  firm  on  the  earth,  you 
think;  you  are  a  great  man  of  lands  and  gear; 
you  are  a  befriended  man ;  chieftains  make  you 
welcome  when  you  go  down  to  the  booths.  I 
am  like  the  hare  that  has  no  home,  anybody's 
quarry.  Let  it  be  so.  I  tell  you  that  you  will 
be  slain  before  me,  though  I  have  but  three 
years  left  to  live.  Think  of  that,  and  make  your 
peace  while  you  may."  Now  Thorkel  was  an- 
gry. 


THE  HUNT  IS  UP  215 

**Your  spaedoms  are  nothing  to  me.  You 
seem  to  threaten  me.  Nevertheless  go  in 
peace." 

Gisli  struck  up  over  the  mountain  and  har- 
boured with  a  good  soul  at  Vadil,  a  widow 
woman  named  Thorgerd. 


XX 

thoekel's  bane 

GISLI  had  seen  truly.  The  end  of  Thor- 
kel  was  this.  There  was  a  Thing  to  be 
held  at  Thorskafirth,  which  is  at  the  very  end 
of  Broadfirth,  and  so  in  the  middle  of  North 
Iceland.  All  the  great  men  of  the  North  and 
West  would  go  there,  as  of  course,  and  among 
them,  without  a  doubt,  Thorkel  from  Combe, 
and  Bork  from  Thorsness.  Gest  the  Wise,  who 
lived  at  Hagi  on  Bardastrand,  was  going  too, 
and  was  down  on  the  shore  overseeing  his  ship, 
with  all  his  people  at  work  and  about  him. 
Two  lads,  hatless,  shoeless,  limping,  bleeding 
in  the  feet,  come  down  to  the  shore,  and  stand 
at  a  little  distance,  looking  at  the  men  busy. 

Strangers  were  not  such  a  common  sight,  and 
yet — for  you  never  knew — none  too  welcome  a 
sight.  Every  one  down  there  saw  the  lads, 
but  no  one  hailed  them.     Gest  himself,  who 

216 


THORKEL'S  BANE  217 

saw  everything,  was  one  of  the  first  to  know 
that  they  were  there.  After  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  or  so  he  said  quietly  to  a  man  near  him, 
*^Go  and  see  who  they  are,  and  come  back  to 
me  with  your  news.'* 

The  man  was  not  long  gone.  He  came  back 
to  Gest.  ''They  say  that  they  are  strangers 
going  to  Thorkskafirth  Thing.  They  ask  to 
speak  with  you.''  Gest  nodded  and  took  no  no- 
tice, but  went  on  with  his  overseeing  of  the  work 
on  the  ship.  When  everything  was  going  as  he 
wished,  he  gave  a  few  directions  and  said  he 
would  be  back  presently.  Then  he  turned  his 
pony's  head  and  walked  him  up  to  where  the  two 
lads  were  standing.  One  of  them  was  a  head 
taller  than  the  other,  very  handsome,  dark- 
haired,  red-brown  skin,  grey  eyes,  very  white 
teeth.  The  other  boy  was  dark  also,  but  pale 
and  freckled,  not  strong-looking.  One  of  his 
feet  was  bound  up  in  a  rag,  and  the  other  bleed- 
ing. 

''Now,  my  lads,"  Gest  said,  "what  is  it  you 
want  with  me?" 

The  elder  said,  "We  ask  of  you  a  passage  up 


218  THE  OUTLAW 

the  frith  to  the  Thing.  We  are  come  a  long  way 
to  get  it.'' 

'* There's  every  sign  of  it,"  Gest  said. 
**Over  the  fells,  I  warrant,  and  over  a  snow- 
field  into  the  bargain." 

^^Yes,  sir." 

''And  all  the  way  afoot?" 

*'No,  sir.  We  had  a  passage  in  a  cattleboat 
as  far  as  Otterdale." 

Gest's  eyes  flashed.  ''You  went  ashore  at 
Otterdale?  Did  you  see  anything  of  Eyolf  of 
that  place,  or  his  people?" 

"No.  We  saw  no  one  there,  and  no  one  saw 
us." 

"Are  you  hungry?" 

The  boy  looked  at  his  brother.  "He  is  hun- 
gry.   I  don't  care  for  myself." 

"You  shall  be  fed,"  Gest  said.  "Now,  what 
made  you  come  here,  to  me?" 

"If  I  tell  you  my  name  you  will  know,"  said 
the  lad.     Gest  held  up  his  hand. 

"Enough  said.  I  will  take  you  part  of  the 
way  at  least.  And  you  shall  be  sheltered  down 
here,  and  fed,  and  washed,  on  condition  that 


THOEKEL'S  BANE  219 

you  say  nothing  of  yourselves  to  any  one  here. 
I  am  sure  you  understand  me.  If  you  do  not, 
I  am  sorry,  for  then  you  must  get  somebody  else 
to  take  you  up  the  frith.  This  is  my  condi- 
tion.   Do  you  accept  it  T ' 

*'We  accept  it,*'  the  boy  said,  *^and  thank 
you  kindly.*' 

Gest  said  no  more  to  them,  but  with  a  jerk 
of  his  head  beckoned  them  to  follow  him.  He 
took  them  to  the  house  of  one  of  his  people, 
gave  them  over  to  the  goodwife,  and  left  them 
with  her.  That  was  all  he  saw  of  them  until  he 
took  them  aboard,  but  of  course  he  knew  very 
well  that  they  were  Berg  and  Helgi,  the  sons 
of  Vestan.  He  was  one  of  the  wisest  of  men> 
was  Gest,  and  of  the  same  kindred  as  those  boys 
and  Aud,  Gisli  's  wife. 

When  the  ship  was  ready,  Gest,  having  the 
runagates  aboard,  sailed  up  the  frith.  He  did 
not  steer  a  straight  coarse,  but  held  up  by  the 
•shore,  and  stayed  at  Hallsteinsness,  which  is 
about  six  hours'  sailing  from  Thorskafrith. 
Here  he  put  the  boys  ashore. 

*^You  will  be  there  before  me,"  he  said. 


220  THE  OUTLAW 

**Your  road  is  over  the  shoulder,  through  that 
great  wood.  You  won't  be  alone  on  it.  Keep 
my  condition  faithfully,  and  if  you  see  me  here- 
after at  the  Thing  you  will  not  know  who  I 
am.''  They  would  have  thanked  him  but  he 
waved  them  away. 

The  lads  went  up  the  hill  and  into  the  great 
wood,  which  is  called  Teigwood  in  those  parts. 
Over  the  shoulder  it  was  all  downhill  to  Thors- 
kafrith,  and  once  out  of  the  wood  you  could  see 
it  all  mapped  out  below  you,  the  water  lapping 
on  white  sand,  the  shining  rocks,  Thorskafrith 
town  itself,  with  the  river  sprawling  down  from 
the  dales,  this  side  the  town,  in  a  mead  over- 
looking the  sea,  the  booths  where  the  men  of  the 
Thing  abode.  The  harbour  was  crowded  with 
shipping,  for  many  of  the  chiefs  had  come  in. 

The  two  boys  went  through  the  booths  until 
they  came  upon  the  last  and  meanest  of  them, 
where  a  fat  man  in  a  leather  apron  stood.  His 
thumbs  were  in  his  apron,  and  one  of  his  eyes 
met  theirs.  The  other  could  not,  but  looked 
sideways  at  the  weather.  Other  men  were  in 
the  hut,  lying  about,  or  mending  their  clothes. 


THORKEL^S  BANE  221 

Berg  asked  this  man  for  a  lodging,  and  the 
man  hummed  a  little  tune. 

**Well,*'  he  said,  **we  are  a  mixed  company, 
but  we  might  find  a  corner.  Who  might  you 
two  be  by  chance ?^^ 

Berg  told  him  that  they  were  beggars,  liv- 
ing as  they  could. 

*'And  yet,'^  said  their  host,  **you  have  a 
mother  and  father,  I  suppose,  like  all  the  rest 
of  the  world? ^' 

Berg  pitched  him  a  long  tale  about  a  feud, 
a  house  burning,  and  an  escape  by  night. 
Whether  Halbiorn,  which  was  the  host's  name, 
believed  it  or  not,  is  not  to  be  known.  He  ac- 
cepted the  boys  into  his  company  of  wastrels 
— ten  or  twelve  of  them;  and  presently,  as  he 
was  going  out  to  the  ness  to  see  the  ships  come 
in,  they  went  with  him.  All  three  sat  down  in 
the  bents. 

It  was  a  fine  sight  to  see  the  ships  come  surg- 
ing in  on  the  rising  tide.  Six  or  eight  sweeps 
a  side  were  used,  for  there  was  no  wind.  Al- 
most the  first  one  they  saw  was  Gest's;  but 
Berg  asked  whose  it  was. 


222  THE  OUTLAW 

**6est's  the  Wise,"  they  were  told,  ''of  Hagi 
on  Bardastrand.'' 

Close  behind  Gest's  there  came  another  ship, 
very  bravely  painted,  with  a  man  at  the  stem 
folded  in  a  cloak,  and  brightly  helmed. 

''Whose  ship  comes  nowT*  Berg  asked. 

"That  is  Thorkel  Soursson  from  the  Combe.'' 

"He  looks  a  fine  man,"  Berg  said,  and  Hal- 
biorn  agreed  with  a  chuckle. 

"Ah,  and  he  is  fine.  And  yet  not  so  fine  as 
he  believes  himself  to  be." 

Then  they  went  to  see  the  chieftains  come 
ashore;  and  after  that  there  were  plenty  other 
sights,  so  long  as  the  daylight  lasted.  Late  in 
the  evening,  among  the  booths,  word  went  ronnd 
that  Bork  from  Thorsness  had  just  come  in. 

The  morning  broke  fair;  all  the  world  was 
early  astir.  Men  like  Bork  Fat,  who  had  come 
in  late  overnight,  were  busy  with  their  booths. 
The  place  was  crowded  with  those  who  worked 
and  those  who  looked  on.  Beggars  were  plenty. 
Halbiom  alone  had  sheltered  fifteen  of  them 
in  his  hut. 

Berg  and  Helgi  made  their  way  down  the  line 


THOEKEL'S  BANE  223 

of  booths,  in  no  way  distinguishable  from  other 
vagabonds,  except  to  eyes  like  Gest's.  Those 
far-seeing  eyes  were  upon  them  as  they  passed 
by  his  booth. 

At  the  end  of  the  street,  in  a  place  by  itself 
overlooking  the  sea,  was  a  large  booth,  and  be- 
fore it,  on  a  stool  in  the  sun,  sat  a  large  man  of 
fine  presence,  and  well  dressed.  His  cloak  was 
round  him,  for  the  air  was  still  fresh.  On  his 
knees  lay  a  sheathed  sword.  The  two  boys 
stood  within  hail,  looking  at  him.  Helgi,  the 
young  one,  said  to  his  brother,  *^Who  may  that 
great  chief  bef 

*'Nay,  how  should  I  know?" 

**I  never  saw  a  greater  man  than  that,''  said 
Helgi. 

Thorkel  heard  him  and  laughed. 

*  *  You  speak  well  of  me, '  ^  he  said.  *  *  My  name 
is  Thorkel  Soursson.''  The  two  boys  came 
closer.     They  looked  at  the  sword  on  his  knees. 

Berg  said,  **I  warrant  that  a  noble  sword." 

*^It's  not  a  bad  sword,"  said  Thorkel. 

' '  May  I  look  at  it  f "  he  was  asked. 

Thorkel  laughed  again.    *^You  have  a  way 


224  THE  OUTLAW 

with  you,  it  seems  to  me.  But  why  not?  Yes, 
you  may  look  at  if 

Berg  took  the  sword  in  both  hands,  and 
stepped  back  a  pace  or  two.  He  turned  it  about 
once  or  twice.  Then  with  a  jerk  he  had  snapped 
the  peace-strings  and  had  it  naked  in  his  hand. 

*^Hey,''  said  Thorkel,  **I  gave  no  leave  for 
that.'' 

**I  asked  none,''  said  Berg,  and  hewed  at  his 
neck.  Thorkel  flushed  crimson  and  fell  for- 
ward in  a  drench  of  blood.  Berg  dropped  the 
sword,  turned  and  ran,  Helgi  after  him.  Men 
looked  up  and  saw  Thorkel  down.  Some  one 
raised  the  cry,  **A  man  is  hit!"  and  many  ran 
to  him.  Berg  and  Helgi  raced  on.  Passing 
Bork's  booth  they  saw  that  red-bearded  chief 
in  the  way.  He  asked,  *^Who  is  it?  What 
are  they  all  about  down  there?"  Berg  said 
nothing,  but  dodged  him  and  ran  on.  Helgi 
said  as  he  passed,  *^They  are  asking  whether 
Vestan  left  daughters  or  sons  behind  him." 
Then  on  he  went. 

All  the  beggars  were  on  the  move  too,  but 
some  of  them  were  caught  and  detained,  and 


THOKKEL^S  BANE  225 

Halbiorn,  their  host,  among  them.  Bork  took 
up  the  affair,  as  his  duty  was.  Who  were  those 
boys  who  had  passed  him!  Halbiorn  told  all 
he  knew,  which  was  nothing.  Meantime  the 
boys  themselves  were  not  to  be  found.  Bork 
went  out  to  Gest's  booth  and  saw  Gest  himself. 

*  *  Thorkel  is  slain, ' '  says  Bork. 

Gest  said,  **A  sad  business  for  you.*' 

*'Very  bad.  A  near  relation.  My  wife's 
favourite  brother.     She  will  take  it  hard.'' 

Gest  said,  '*I  think  it  likely.  Whom  do  you 
suspect  of  the  thing?" 

Bork  told  him  about  the  two  lads.  One  of 
them  had  said  something  about  Vestan's  sons 
or  daughters — Bork  had  hardly  caught  the 
words,  but  knew  that  Vestan  was  mentioned. 
*^You  know  of  the  feud  with  Gisli,"  he  said. 
**Now,  put  the  thing  together.  I  shall  hardly 
be  wrong  if  I  bring  a  suit  of  outlawry  against 
the  sons  of  Vestan.    What  do  you  think?" 

''If  you  did  that,"  said  Gest  slowly,  ''I  don't 
think  it  would  need  a  clever  man  to  throw  your 
suit  out.  Suppose  you  brought  it  against  me, 
for  instance,  what  should  I  do  ?    I  should  name 


226  THE  OUTLAW 

another  man  as  the  slayer,  and  bring  witnesses. 
Yon,  having  no  witnesses,  would  be  out.  Who 
saw  the  boys  do  the  deed?  Suppose  that  they 
told  you  the  truth,  and  that  men  were  talking 
about  Vestan  and  his  sons  or  daughters? 
Would  it  not  be  a  likely  thing  to  talk  about  over 
the  body  of  Thorkel?  I  think  you  will  fail. 
You  have  not  the  boys  here,  you  say.  Nobody 
knows  who  they  are,  or  where  they  are.  What 
are  you  to  do?'' 

*' According  to  you,  nothing,"  says  Bork,  very 
red  in  the  face.  He  knew  quite  well  that  Gest 
was  kinsman  of  Vestan — but  that  didn't  help 
him,  for  he  didn't  know,  and  was  never  told, 
that  Gest  had  brought  the  pair  up  to  Thorska- 
frith.  If  he  had  known  that  it  might  have 
turned  out  differently. 

They  buried  Thorkel  in  his  boat,  and  heaped 
a  barrow  over  him.  The  Thing  was  held,  and 
men  went  their  ways.  Bork  knew  himself  dis- 
honoured, and  felt  it  none  the  less  for  what 
Thordis  had  to  say.  The  result  of  it  all  was  to 
revive  the  feud  against  Gisli,  as  might  have 
been  expected. 


THOEKEL'S  BANE  227 

As  for  the  boys,  they  were  ten  days  on  the 
fells  before  they  reached  Geirthiof sfrith.  Gisli 
was  at  home  when  they  came,  and  asleep.  He 
never  slept  in  the  house  for  fear  of  being  taken 
or  burned.  He  had  made  himself  an  earth 
house  underground,  and  could  get  a  warning 
from  Aud  at  once  if  need  were. 

It  was  Aud  who  opened  the  door  to  them  and 
heard  their  account  of  themselves.  She  made 
no  comment,  but  gave  them  food  and  blankets. 
'*I  dare  not  take  you  in,*'  she  said.  ^* Gisli  is 
at  home,  and  will  take  it  very  hardly.  He  loved 
his  brother  through  all.  You  must  sleep  as  you 
can  in  the  wood,  and  when  you  are  rested  I  will 
get  you  a  boat  to  take  you  home.  That  is  all 
I  can  do.**  They  took  it  all  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  were  away  in  two  days*  time. 

But  directly  they  had  left  the  house  Aud  went 
down  to  Gisli  in  his  cave,  and  sat  on  his  bed. 
He  was  awake  when  she  came  in,  and  looked  at 
her  without  speaking.  She  looked  gently  and 
gravely  at  him  in  her  turn,  as  if  she  were  think- 
ing how  she  should  frame  what  she  had  to 
say. 


228  THE  OUTLAW 

It  was  Gisli  who  broke  the  silence.  ^^Well, 
Audr'  he  said.    *^What  now?'' 

'*I  am  wondering,"  she  said. 

*  *  I  see  it.    What  is  your  wonder  ? ' ' 

**What  you  will  say  to  me  when  I  tell  you 
something. ' ' 

He  clasped  his  hands  behind  his  head.  **I 
think  I  know  your  *  something.'  " 

**0h,  no,  you  cannot." 

*'But  I  do.  You  will  tell  me  that  Thorkel  is 
slain." 

She  nodded  her  head.  **Yes,  and  Vestan's 
boys  have  slain  him.  There  is  no  end  to  our 
trouble. ' ' 

Gisli  said,  **  There  will  soon  be  an  end  to  it. 
They  have  done  no  service  to  you  and  me.  The 
feud  against  me  might  have  slept  but  for  this." 
He  frowned  and  looked  down  his  length  lying 
in  the  bed. 

Aud  touched  his  hand.  *^ Gisli,"  she  said. 
He  looked  at  her  immediately,  with  eyes  full 
of  patience. 

*' Well,  my  love?" 


THOEKEL^S  BANE  229 

^*I  have  brought  you  nothing  but  sorrow.  ^I 
have  not  given  you  a  child — and  you  may  even 
thank  me  for  that.  And  now  it  may  be  my  kin- 
dred that  will  bring  about  your  death.  What 
have  you  to  say  to  me  nowf 

He  bade  her  kneel  by  him;  he  took  her  face 
between  his  hands  and  kissed  her  mouth.  He 
said,  **No  man  has  had  greater  love  than  I,  and 
no  woman  deserved  more  thanks  from  a  man 
than  you.  You  blame  yourself  wrongly.  Ves- 
tan  was  my  friend  before  you  were  my  beloved, 
and  Thordis  hated  me  before  we  set  foot  in 
Iceland.'' 

'^But  Thordis  hates  me  more  than  you,"  said 
Aud.     Gisli  kissed  her  again. 

**Do  you  know  why?  Because  you  had  the 
love  of  a  man,  and  gave  him  the  love  of  a  wo- 
man, and  because  she  had  neither,  to  give  or 
to  get.  She  grudged  you  your  heart  as  well  as 
your  joy,  and  neither  riches  nor  her  children 
were  worth  anything  to  her  compared  with  that. 
I  tell  you,  let  all  be  as  it  must  be.  You  and  I 
have  had  our  share  of  the  good  things  of  this 


230  THE  OUTLAW 

world.    Now  come  to  bed,  and  comfort  me  while 
you  may — for  the  end  is  near.'* 

In  his  dream  only  one  fire  showed  in  the 
great  hall. 


XXI 

t 

THB  FIKB   IN   THE  WOOD 

THE  chase  after  Gisli  lasted  another  year, 
with  no  good  result  to  any  one.  But  now 
G^isli  himself,  warned  by  his  dream,  wandered 
no  more.  He  kept  about  Aud's  house,  and 
awaited  the  end.  The  chase  indeed  had  been 
too  hot,  the  escapes  he  had  had  too  fine.  There 
had  been  a  time  when  he  would  have  found  sport 
in  such  things — but  that  time  was  past.  He  had 
played  the  part  of  an  idiot  boy  on  Broadfrith 
and  been  so  close  to  Bork  that  he  could  have 
knocked  him  over  the  head  with  an  oar ;  he  had 
been  hidden  in  a  woman's  bed  and  Bork  in  the 
house.  But  now  he  was  tired,  and  ready  to  give 
it  up.  And  he  thought  that  Aud  was  tired  and 
might  be  easier  in  her  mind  when  she  had  got 
the  worst  over.  She  might  marry  again  per- 
haps— but  he  thought  that  she  would  not.  He 
was  so  near  the  end  now  that  the  thought  of 

231 


232  THE  OUTLAW 

that  did  not  make  him  hot  all  over  or  send  the 
blood  surging  to  his  head.  So  now  it  was  that 
he  spent  his  days  in  the  woods  which  closed 
in  the  head  of  the  frith,  and  his  nights  in  the 
cave  which  he  had  dug  for  himself  by  And's 
house. 

At  Otterdale  in  the  late  autumn  a  man  called 
Howard  was  staying  with  Eyolf,  having  come 
home  from  Norway.  He  was  cousin  to  Gest  the 
Wise,  but  of  no  kindred  to  Gisli.  Indeed  he 
knew  nothing  at  all  about  Gisli  and  heard  of 
him  now  from  Eyolf  as  a  dangerous  and  cun- 
ning outlaw  whom  it  was  everybody's  business 
to  put  out  of  the  way.  When  Eyolf  was  about 
sending  Helgi  the  Needle  out  once  more  this 
Howard  said  that  he  would  go  too.  He  did  not 
say  that,  on  the  whole,  his  sympathies  lay  with 
the  hunted  rather  than  the  hunter,  though  that 
was  the  state  of  his  case.  They  gave  out  that 
they  were  come  after  fuel  for  the  winter  to  any- 
body whom  they  saw  at  the  frith-head ;  but  there 
were  very  few  people  living  there. 

Three  days  were  spent  in  the  woods  with  no 


THE  FIRE  IN  THE  WOOD         233 

result.  The  weather  was  fine  and  still,  but  the 
nights  were  cold.  On  the  third  afternoon,  just 
after  sundown,  the  Needle  pointed  out  smoke 
rising  on  the  hillside,  south  of  the  frith,  they 
themselves  being  on  the  north.  Howard  saw  it 
plainly  enough,  a  column  of  blue  smoke  which 
seemed  to  rise  out  of  some  crags  jutting  up 
among  the  trees.  The  hour  was  late,  after  sun- 
down, and  it  would  soon  be  dark. 

''Yes,  there's  some  one  there,''  Howard  said. 
''What  are  you  going  to  do?  We  can't  get 
out  there  to-night." 

"There's  only  one  thing  for  it,"  the  Needle 
told  him.  "We  must  build  a  cairn  here,  and 
take  a  sight  from  it.  It  must  be  a  great  cairn 
too,  or  we  shall  never  find  it." 

They  set  to  work  piling  the  cairn  and  went 
on  until  it  was  pitchy  dark.  Howard  then  said 
that  he  had  had  enough  of  it,  and  meant  to 
sleep  for  a  spell.  Helgi  went  on  with  his  cairn 
for  a  time ;  but  presently  he  too  tired,  and  lay 
down  in  his  cloak.  When  he  was  down  Howard 
sat  up  and  thought. 

All  his  thoughts  ran,  "This  is  bad  work  for 


234  THE  OUTLAW 

me."  And  then  lie  began  to  say  to  himself, 
**I  must  give  the  man  a  chance.''  He  was 
serious  about  it  too,  for  he  stood  up  and  stone 
by  stone  demolished  the  cairn,  bringing  it  down 
so  low  that  nothing  could  have  been  seen  of  it 
from  the  water.  That  done,  he  had,  if  pos- 
sible, to  prevent  the  Needle  from  making  it  up 
again — no  hard  matter,  he  thought. 

He  picked  up  a  great  boulder  in  both  hands, 
and  lumped  it  down  with  a  crash  close  to  Helgi's 
head.    Up  sprang  the  Needle  in  a  terror. 

**What  was  that?  Oh,  my  head,  what  was 
that?'' 

** That's  only  one,"  says  Howard,  **but  it 
was  near  enough.  There's  a  man  in  the  wood 
near  about  who  has  been  at  that  sport  all  the 
time." 

**That  is  Gisli,"  says  the  Needle,  **and  I  am 
off.  He  is  a  mighty  man,  I  can  tell  you.  A 
stone  like  that  is  nothing  to  him.  And  what 
does  he  care  for  your  life  or  mine?  Not  a  pin- 
head.     Come,  we  will  be  running." 

Even  as  he  spoke  he  was  scurrying  down  the 
wood.    Howard,   chuckling,  went  down  more 


THE  FIEE  IN  THE  WOOD         235 

leisurely,  and  found  Mm  on  the  shore  in  a  fume 
to  be  off.  **I  wish  you  would  hurry  yourself,'' 
he  said.     **You  little  know  what  that  man  is.'' 

**I  thought  you  were  hunting  him,"  says 
Howard.  *'It  seems  to  me  that  he  is  hunting 
you,  rather." 

**Come,  come,  we  must  be  out  of  this,"  says 
the  Needle,  hopping  about. 

They  reported  to  Eyolf,  who  said,  **Now  then 
we  have  him. ' '  With  daylight  he  was  out  with 
a  boatload  of  armed  men,  and  was  rowed  up  to 
the  head  of  the  frith.  Never  a  sign  of  a  cairn 
to  be  seen. 

** How's  this?  And  where 's  your  cairn?" 
The  Needle  was  gaping  up  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain.   **It  was  there,  for  I  built  it." 

**Yes,  and  somebody  has  unbuilt  it  for  you. 
I  am  being  made  a  fool  of  between  you." 

They  didn't  know  what  to  do  next.  Eyolf, 
very  unwilling  to  go  back,  said  he  would  try 
Aud  once  more. 

They  went  up  the  hill  to  the  house  in  a  body. 
Aud  let  them  in,  having  no  sign  of  fear.  6u- 
drid  stood  by  her.    Howard  looked  long  at  her 


236  THE  OUTLAW 

and  thought  her  a  beautiful  woman.  Her  sim- 
plicity and  gravity  became  her  well. 

Eyolf  said  he  had  come  to  talk  plainly,  and 
wished  to  sit  down.  **You  were  unreasonable 
to  me  the  last  time  I  came/'  he  said.  *'I  might 
have  been  angry,  and  resented  it — for  I  have 
the  law  on  my  side,  as  you  know.  But  here  I 
am,  you  see,  without  malice.  Now  I  ask  you 
to  tell  me  where  Gisli  is,  and  so  save  your 
troubles  and  mine.  There's  no  reason  at  all 
why  you  and  I  should  not  be  friends.  Haven't 
I  showed  that  by  coming  here  again  after  your 
treatment  of  me  last  year?" 

Aud  said  that  she  was  prepared  to  hear  him. 
'^That's  right,"  says  Eyolf;  ^Hhat  is  what  I 
want  of  you.  Now  I  need  not  tell  a  handsome 
woman  that  there  are  good  fish  in  the  sea,  or 
good  men  in  Iceland;  and  I  need  not  ask  what 
kind  of  a  place  this  is  for  a  woman  to  be  penned 
in.  Are  you  inclined  to  better  it!  Are  you 
inclined  to  be  at  peace'?    Hey,  mistress?" 

He  was  grinning  in  a  very  watery  and 
friendly  manner.  Howard  watched  Aud 
sharply.     She  was  looking  to  the  ground;  her 


THE  FIEE  IN  THE  WOOD         237 

colour  was  high,  as  he  saw  her  bosom  rise  and 
fall  quickly.  Short  of  breath,  was  she?  Per- 
haps she  was  bitten. 

Yes,  she  said,  she  did  wish  to  be  at  peace. 

*^I  thought  so,^'  said  Eyolf.  *^WelI,  I  will 
be  very  plain  with  you  now.  My  friend  Bork, 
who  is  the  pursuer  in  this  case,  has  put  into  my 
hands  three  hundred  pounds  of  silver  if  I  will 
do  his  business  for  him.  That  same  silver  I 
will  put  in  your  lap,  neither  more  nor  less,  if 
you  will  tell  me  what  I  want  to  know.  Mind 
you,  it  is  to  save  time  and  misery.  There  is 
only  one  end  to  an  outlawry.  That  you  know. 
Why,  Gisli  himself,  I  dare  swear,  would  be  glad 
to  have  it  ended.    Hey,  mistress  f' 

Aud  said  she  thought  it  likely.  Then  she 
said,  had  he  brought  the  silver  with  him? 

'*Why  no,'^  he  said,  *^not  all  of  it.  But  I 
have  an  earnest  of  it  here,  and  will  give  you 
a  bond  for  the  remainder.''  That  said,  he 
brought  out  a  great  purse  and  began  slipping 
coin  after  coin  on  to  the  table.  Presently  there 
was  a  great  pile  of  it.  Midway  the  counting, 
Howard  noticed  that  the  girl  Gudrid  was  cry- 


238  THE  OUTLAW 

ing.  Before  it  was  over  she  had  gone  out  of  the 
hall. 

There  sat  Eyolf  smiling  at  his  money.  And, 
who  never  raised  her  eyes,  said,  *^Do  yon  hand 
me  that  over  to  nse  as  I  will?'' 

*'To  be  sure  I  do — on  my  terms.'' 

She  turned  to  a  cupboard  behind  her  and 
brought  out  a  bag.  She  counted  the  money  as 
she  dropped  it  in.  She  tied  up  the  bag  with 
twine.  She  lifted  it  with  both  hands  and 
seemed  to  swing  it,  as  if  weighing  it.  Eyolf 
smiled  and  fingered  his  beard.  And  swung  the 
sack  a  few  times,  and  suddenly  brought  it  with 
a  crash  into  Eyolf 's  face.  It  caught  him  on 
the  side  of  the  nose  and  knocked  him  down. 
The  blood  was  all  over  him. 

''You  dog,"  she  said,  ''who  thought  me  as 
vile  as  you.  Have  you  not  learned  where  to  go 
marketing  yet?  Now  go  home  and  say  that  a 
woman  has  broken  your  nose.  Go  home,  and 
grin  in  your  wife's  face.  You  will  get  nothing 
better  out  of  me." 

Eyolf,  in  a  fury  of  pain  and  rage,  sat  up.    He 


THE  FIRE  IN  THE  WOOD         239 

had  to  hold  his  nose,  but  he  managed  to  speak. 
'*Men,'^  he  said,  ^^make  an  end  of  her.'* 

*^If  I  know  them  they  will  do  nothing  of  the 
sort.  The  business  is  bad  enough  without  that. 
So  far  as  I  see,  you  have  brought  it  on  your- 
self.'* Eyolf  had  no  more  to  say.  His  men 
helped  him  out.    Howard  stayed  behind. 

**If  all  men  had  wives  like  you  there  would 
be  no  Eyolf s  in  it,"  he  said.  She  looked  at 
him  gratefully. 

**I  would  say  that  if  all  women  had  men  like 
mine  there  would  be  no  need  for  outlawries. 
All  that  he  has  ever  done  has  been  to  serve 
other  folk.*' 

*^I  wish  I  could  serve  you  better,"  says 
Howard. 

*'You  cannot.  You  have  saved  my  life,  and 
Gisli  will  thank  you  for  that.  Will  you  take 
this  ring  from  me  !  He  gave  it  me.  He  would 
wish  you  to  have  it." 

'*!  will  take  it  thankfully,"  he  said,  **in 
memory  of  a  brave  woman." 

Howard  sent  for  his  gear  from  Otterdale  and 


240  THE  OUTLAW 

took  ship  to  Bardastrand.    He  did  not  feel  that 
he  could  see  Eyolf  again. 

The  Needle  said  that  it  was  plain  Gisli  was 
close  at  hand.  '*The  girl  slipped  away  to  tell 
him  that  And  was  selling  his  life.  He  had  best 
bum  him  out.'' 


XXII 

GBAYFLANKS   ENDS  IT 

GISLI  had  laughed  when  Gudrid  came  and 
told  him  with  tears  that  And  had  lost 
her  mind  and  was  taking  Eyolf  s  money. 

*^What  are  you  telling  me?  She  would  as 
soon  take  his  kisses.''  Thinking  it  over,  he 
saw  what  the  Needle  had  seen.  *^They  will 
know  me  at  hand,  and  will  try  to  burn  me  out. 
This  is  the  end  of  if 

His  dreams  began  again.  He  was  led  into 
the  great  hall.  It  was  dark  and  cold,  and  in  the 
dark  he  could  see  white  ash  heaped  upon  the 
hearths,  but  no  fire  anywhere.  Then  he  saw 
himself  lying  on  wet  grass,  and  a  woman  whose 
face  was  hidden  knelt  beside  him  and  bound  up 
his  head  in  a  bloody  clout.  On  the  trees  all 
about  there  were  hawks  sitting.  Their  beaks 
were  red  and  wet,  and  a  smear  of  clotted  blood 
was  upon  their  breasts.    Some  of  his  dreams  he 

241 


242  THE  OUTLAW 

told  to  Aud,  but  most  of  them  he  kept  to  him- 
self. 

He  was  out  and  about  in  the  woods  all  day, 
but  dared  not  go  very  far  afield  lest  Eyolf's 
men  should  come  and  burn  the  house.  Then, 
on  the  morning  of  the  first  frost,  when  the 
leaves  were  falling  all  about  like  great  snow- 
flakes,  he  saw  a  ship  rowing  up  the  frith.  He 
looked  at  it  for  some  time,  then  turned,  and 
went  home. 

Aud  saw  that  he  was  pale;  but  he  spoke 
quietly  as  if  the  matter  was  some  everyday 
business.  ^^We  h-ad  better  be  going  over  to  the 
South  crags, ' '  he  said.  *  *  You  a^nd  Gudrid  should 
come  with  me." 

Aud  was  true  to  herself.  **  Shall  we  go  at 
onceV 

**Yes,"  he  said,  '*the  sooner  the  better.*' 

She  saw  him  kneeling  at  a  coffer,  saw  him 
take  out  a  short-handled  spear,  and  knew  it  at 
once.  He  came  back  to  her,  with  his  hat  and 
cloak  on,  the  spear  in  his  hand. 

**Are  you  ready?"  he  asked  her.  She  called 
Gudrid.    He  gave  each  of  them  a  club  to  carry. 


GRAYFLANKS  ENDS  IT  243 

'  *  The  trees  are  wet  with  rime, ' '  he  said.  * '  You 
can  keep  them  out  of  the  way  with  those. '  * 

Then  they  left  the  house,  he  leading  the  way 
in  and  out  of  the  thickets.  No  one  said  any- 
thing, but  Gisli  kept  looking  behind  him  to  see 
if  they  were  followed.  So  they  made  their  way 
round  the  head  of  the  frith,  and  reached  the 
hiding-place  by  noon.  They  made  a  meal,  and 
Gisli  said  that  he  would  try  to  sleep  if  they 
would  keep  a  look-out. 

He  lay  down  with  his  head  on  Aud's  knee. 
Gudrid  crouched  at  the  entry  of  the  cave  and 
watched  the  woods.  It  was  a  still,  sunny  noon, 
very  beautiful  and  peaceful. 

After  a  time  of  silence,  Gisli  lying  very  still 
with  his  eyes  closed,  Aud  immovable  as  a  wo- 
man of  stone,  Gudrid  saw  something  moving 
in  the  bushes  to  the  right.  Without  turning  her 
eyes  away,  she  said,  **Men  are  coming  this 
way.*'  Gisli  opened  his  eyes  and  sat  up.  He 
went  out  of  the  cave  and  looked  over  the  woods. 
**They  have  traced  us  in  the  rime.  Come  after 
me  on  to  the  rocks.**  They  climbed  the  rocks 
and  reached  a  level  place  a  few  yards  breadth. 


244  THE  OUTLAW 

backed  by  a  tall  cliff  of  grey  stone.  **  There  is 
room  for  all  of  us  here/'  he  said. 

Below  them,  presently,  they  saw  the  men. 
Eyolf  was  leading,  an  ax  in  his  hand.  Helgi 
the  Needle  came  behind  him,  then  a  tall  man 
with  a  black  beard  and  very  red  face;  then 
others  unknown  to  them — twelve  in  all.  Eyolf, 
looking  np,  saw  his  quarry,  and  pointed  it  out. 
They  had  a  short  conversation  and  then  began 
to  climb  the  rocks.  They  stopped  when  they 
reached  the  platform  in  front  of  the  cave. 
Then  Eyolf  looked  up  again,  and  they  could  see 
the  black  scar  on  one  side  of  his  nose.  **He 
carries  your  mark  on  him,"  said  Gisli.  Aud 
did  not  answer. 

It  was  Eyolf  who  spoke  first.  "You  had  best 
stay  where  you  are.  There  can  only  be  one  end 
to  this.  You  are  known  for  a  brave  man.  Let 
us  settle  accounts  here." 

'  *  I  shan  't  move, ' '  Gisli  said.  *  ^  Come  up  here 
when  you  are  ready.  And  come  up  yourself, 
for  it  is  your  quarrel,  and  not  your  friends'." 

Eyolf   grinned   fearfully.    **  Leave   that   to 


GRAYFLANKS  ENDS  IT  245 

''If  I  do  that/'  GisH  said,  '^I  leave  it  to  the 
others.    You  are  a  man  who  hires.'' 

Eyolf  talked  with  the  other  men,  and  chiefly 
with  Helgi.  Then  all  of  them  were  seen  to  be 
egging  on  the  Needle,  who  looked  keenly  up 
the  rocks,  and  seemed  doubtful.  He  and 
Eyolf  talked  together  again;  and  then  Helgi 
made  a  dash  at  the  rocks,  an  ax  in  his  hand. 
At  the  same  time  Eyolf  went  behind  his  com- 
pany and  disappeared. 

Gisli  had  put  Grayflanks  up  against  the  cliff, 
and  had  his  sword  drawn.  Helgi  came  up  with 
a  rush,  and  reached  the  platform  where  the 
three  were.  There  as  he  stood  swaying,  his 
ax  in  the  air,  Gisli  drave  a  fearful  blow  and 
shore  him  through  at  the  waist.  He  went  top- 
pling back,  the  halves  of  him  two  ways ;  but  by 
that  time  Eyolf  was  up  the  rocks  on  the  other 
side,  and  was  seen  by  Aud.  Before  he  could 
get  a  fair  footing  she  had  swung  her  club  aloft, 
and  brought  it  down  upon  his  right  arm  at  the 
elbow.  He  cried  out,  '^She  has  broken  my 
arm!"  and  fell,  but  saved  himself  by  catching 
at  a  root  with  his  left  hand.    He  slid  down  the 


246  THE  OUTLAW 

steep  to  where  Hs  friends  were,  and  there  he 
sat  down  and  clasped  his  smashed  elbow. 

Gisli  knew  that  no  man  ever  had  a  wife  like 
liis — at  the  same  time  she  had  done  him  harm 
while  she  meant  his  good.  He  would  have  set- 
tled Eyolf  if  she  had  left  it  to  him. 

All  this  went  through  his  head  in  a  flash, 
for  they  gave  him  no  time  to  waste  on  thinking. 
Twelve  of  them  came  up  the  rocks  together. 
Two  were  sent  down  with  boulders;  two  he 
killed  with  the  sword;  another  cast  a  spear  at 
him,  but  he  cut  it  in  half  with  the  sword.  The 
rest  shambled  down;  and  then  he  made  a  mis- 
take. He  had  snatched  up  Grayflanks,  and  now 
hurled  it  at  his  retreating  enemies.  It  went 
clean  through  a  man's  back  between  the  shoul- 
ders and  dropped  him  stone-dead.  Eyolf 
called  out  sharply,  '* Bring  me  that  spear,''  and 
soon  held  in  his  hands  what  Gisli  knew  was  his 
bane. 

Four  men  had  been  killed  by  now,  and  two 
knocked  out  of  fight.  No  one  came  up  the  rocks 
for  a  time,  but  a  shower  of  spears  was  begun 
which  threatened  the  lives  of  Aud  and  Gudrid. 


GRAYFLANKS  ENDS  IT  247 

Gisli  had  to  shift  his  quarters,  and  did  so  in 
an  instant.  He  took  a  standing  leap  from 
where  he  was  on  to  another  rock,  and  thence  still 
higher  to  a  flat  place  above  him.  There  he 
called  to  the  foe  to  come  out ;  but  it  was  not  so 
good  a  place  for  him.  It  had  no  back  wall  and 
could  be  reached  from  two  sides. 

That  was  how  they  got  him  at  last.  A  party 
of  them  held  him  in  front,  a  second  came  up 
behind.  He  was  now  deeply  engaged  and  soon 
wounded  beyond  hope.  Two  more  men  were 
killed,  then  the  great  black-bearded  man  thrust 
him  in  the  groin  with  Grayflanks,  and  he  lost 
blood  and  bowels.  All  that  he  cut  away  from 
him.  He  gave  a  low  cry,  *' Farewell,  my  Aud, 
farewell!''  and  horribly  hurt,  dying  as  he  was, 
threw  himself  into  the  press  before  him.  Down 
the  rocks  they  all  fell  together,  striking  the 
shelf  where  the  two  women  were,  and  rolling  on 
to  the  flat  ground.  There  they  lay;  and  Gisli 
lay  atop.  He  was  still  breathing,  when  Aud 
came  down  and  knelt  by  him. 

Her  grief  was  respected.  The  men  withdrew 
apart  with  their  dead.     Eight  men  in  all  had 


248  .THE  OUTLAW 

been  killed.  There  was  no  one  there  that  was 
not  hurt. 

Eyolf  himself  presently  came  near  and  spoke 
to  And. 

*^Aud/'  he  said,  ^*I  bear  you  no  grudge  for 
my  broken  arm,  neither  should  you  bear  one 
against  me  for  your  brave  dead  man.  It  could 
not  be  otherwise.  If  you  will  trust  me  now 
you  shall  not  regret  it.'^  He  held  out  his  hand, 
his  left  hand;  but  she  turned  him  a  stone-cold 
face. 

**  You  have  covered  yourself  with  infamy,  you 
and  your  hired  murderers.  Go  your  ways  and 
leave  me  here.  I  ask  only  that  I  may  never 
see  you  again.'' 

**As  you  will,*'  he  said,  and  turned  away. 
Presently  she  saw  him  go  down  the  rock  path 
to  the  shore,  with  some  of  his  party  carrying 
the  dead  and  badly  hurt. 

The  black-bearded  man  tried  her  now.  *^If 
you  will,  I  will  help  you  bury  him,"  he  said. 
*^That  will  be  but  just,  as  it  was  I  that  killed 
him." 

^^Help  us  down  to  the  shore  with  him,"  Aud 


GRAYFLANKS  ENDS  IT  249 

said.  He  and  another  man,  having  covered 
Gisli  with  his  cloak,  carried  him  down  the  rocks. 
On  the  shore  they  laid  him,  and  gave  him  his 
sword  to  keep.  Then  they  made  a  great  monnd 
over  him  of  boulders  and  turf.  And  there  Gisli 
lay  at  peace. 

*'No  fight  that  I  ever  heard  tell  of  was  so 
great  as  his,''  Blackbeard  said.  **One  against 
fourteen,  and  six  killed  outright.  I  wish  I  had 
not  been  concerned.  There  is  no  honour  for  us 
in  the  affair.  Well,  he  will  be  quiet  where  he 
is." 

Aud  said  nothing,  and  presently  she  and  Gu- 
drid  were  left  alone.  She  laid  her  hand  upon 
the  cairn,  and  stood  there.  Her  lips  moved, 
but  no  sound  came.  Gudrid  was  crying  freely; 
but  Aud  showed  no  tears. 


xxm 

THOKDIS   VEEKS  ABOUT 

WHEN  he  had  rested  himself  and  had 
his  arm  reset,  Eyolf  took  to  his  ship, 
and  sailed  out  to  Thorsness  to  see  Bork  Fat. 
Bork  waited  for  him  on  the  shore  and  made  him 
welcome. 

*'I  see  that  it  has  cost  you  something;  but 
I  hope  you  bring  me  good  news,*^  he  said. 

*^Bad  is  best,'*  said  Eyolf.  ** Nothing  in  my 
life  has  cost  me  more  both  in  honour,  goods  and 
limb.    However,  the  man  is  dead  and  buried.'* 

*^Now  we  must  see  how  Thordis  takes  it,*' 
Bork  said  rather  anxiously. 

**How  then?  Was  it  not  she  who  was  so  hot 
against  himT* 

*^Yes,  it  was.  She  never  loved  Gisli,  and 
loved  his  wife  even  less.  But — with  wo- 
men  ! '  * 

250 


THOEDIS  VEERS  ABOUT    251 

''Women  indeed/'  says  Eyolf.  ''I  can  tell 
you  something  about  women.'' 

''I  think  I  know  enough,"  Bork  said. 

Thordis  stood  up  when  they  entered  the 
house,  but  did  not  come  down  to  receive  the 
guest.    It  was  necessary  for  Bork  to  go  to  her. 

' '  Why  is  he  here  ? ' '  she  asked. 

''To  tell  you  that  he  has  accomplished  your 
desire." 

"To  tell  me  that  his  hands  are  red  with  my 
brother's  blood,  do  you  mean?" 

"To  tell  you  that  your  love  for  my  brother 
Thorgrim  may  rest  satisfied.  For  Thorgrim's 
sake  you  must  be  good  to  Eyolf." 

"Let  it  be  enough  for  Eyolf  that  I  serve  him 
with  meat,"  said  Thordis.  She  was  very  red, 
and  her  blue  eyes  were  hot  with  tears.  She 
stood  there  blinking  her  eyes,  crisping  and  un- 
crisping  her  hands.  Her  large  breasts  heaved. 
She  was  in  great  distress.  Bork,  who  had  ex- 
pected something  of  the  kind,  yet  felt  a  fool. 

"Come,  my  girl,  tears  will  not  bring  him 
back,"    She  gave  him  a  furious  look,  dashed 


252  THE  OUTLAW 

her  hand  over  her  eyes  and  broke  away.  They 
heard  her  wailing  in  the  Bower. 

Eyolf  shook  his  head.  **What  a  woman! 
And  she  so  hot  against  Gisli!'' 

*  ^  She  is  hot  against  everybody  in  turn, ' '  said 
Bork.    *^I  shall  have  a  night  of  it.*' 

At  supper-time  Thordis  came  in  among  her 
women  to  serve  the  table.  She  herself  brought 
in  the  roast,  and  under  the  dish  carried  a  sheaf 
of  spoons.  Setting  down  the  meat  she  caught 
sight  of  a  broad  flanged  spear  between  Eyolf  *s 
knees.  She  gasped,  and  as  she  stooped  for  the 
spoons  snatched  at  the  weapon  and  freed  it 
from  the  table.  Before  any  one  could  stop 
her  she  had  lunged  with  it  at  Eyolf.  He  half 
turned,  and  saved  his  life  thereby ;  but  the  thin 
keen  blade  ripped  his  thigh  open.  The  benches 
were  pushed  back,  all  the  men  were  on  their 
feet,  and  she  disarmed. 

She  did  not  attempt  to  battle  any  more.  A 
man  had  either  wrist,  and  she  was  powerless. 

Bork  said,  '^This  is  an  outrage  on  my  kins- 
man and  guest.    I  do  not  defend  it,  I  put  my- 


THOEDIS  VEERS  ABOHT         253 

self  at  Eyolf's  mercy.  Let  him  name  the 
award  and  I  will  abide  by  it. ' ' 

**But  I  will  not  abide  by  it,"  Thordis  said, 
straining  forward  against  her  captors.  She 
was  blind  with  heat  and  rage,  and  knew  not 
what  she  said. 

Eyolf  said,  **I  have  had  nothing  but  injury 
and  shame  out  of  this  feud.  I  wish  I  had  never 
been  born.  But  Bork  deals  fairly  by  me,  and 
I  will  say  nothing  of  outrage.  But  for  the 
wounding  in  a  friend's  house  I  ask  the  full 
worth  of  a  man,  and  expect  it.'' 

**You  have  it,"  said  Bork.  **Now  let  all  be 
forgotten. ' ' 

**]Srot  yet,"  said  Thordis.  **I  call  all  men  to 
witness."  At  that  call  her  hands  were  set  free. 
She  took  a  step  nearer. 

**I  call  all  men  here  to  witness  that  I  separate 
myself  from  this  man  Bork.  I  will  have  no 
more  dealings  with  him  in  house  or  garth,  in 
board  or  bed.  That  I  owe  to  my  dead  brother, 
and  so  I  pay  it." 

Bork   stretched   out  his  hands.    **"What  is 


254  THE  OUTLAW 

there  to  say?  Your  children,  woman — what  of 
them?'' 

**My  son  Snorro  is  mine,  and  goes  with  me. 
Yonrs  you  can  keep.  They  are  all  you  will  ever 
have  from  me.'' 

She  left  the  hall,  and  kept  her  word. 

That  is  the  tale  of  Gisli  the  Outlaw,  except 
what  relates  to  his  wife  And.  She  with  Gudrid 
her  foster  child,  and  Geirmund,  Gudrid 's 
brother,  joined  the  family  at  Hest,  where 
Vestan's  widow  and  her  sons  still  lived.  Gest 
the  Wise,  who  was  their  kinsman,  found  them  in 
a  ship  and  crew  which  took  them  to  Norway. 
Gudrid  and  Geirmund  settled  there,  each  mar- 
ried and  did  well.  Aud  and  Gunnhild,  the  two 
widows,  went  presently  to  Denmark,  and  re- 
ceived baptism.  They  say  that  Aud  afterwards 
went  the  pilgrimage  to  Eome,  and  never  came 
back.  The  fame  of  Gisli  lived  after  him  in  the 
deeds  of  Grayflanks  the  broad-headed  spear. 
In  1221  Gunnlaug  had  it  and  killed  Biorn  Thor- 
waldsson.  In  1238  Sturla  Sigvatsson  wielded 
it.  But  it  was  worn  very  thin  then,  and  often 
he  had  to  tread  it  out  straight  with  his  foot. 

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